Chemicals

‘Forever chemicals’ have infiltrated food packaging on a wide scale

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Nearly 70 “forever chemicals”, also known as PFAS, are commonly found in materials that come into contact with food, some of which have been linked to negative health outcomes

Potentially hazardous chemicals may be in food packaging

Food packaging and utensils commonly contain up to 68 “forever chemicals” that carry possible health risks, with regulators potentially being unaware of the presence of many of them.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that are used to produce goods such as non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing. The bonds between the carbon and fluorine atoms in PFAS are so strong that it can take hundreds to thousands of years for them to break down.

Many of these chemicals have been linked to harmful health outcomes, including cancer and reproductive and immune problems.

“There are thousands of these chemicals,” says Birgit Geueke at the Food Packaging Forum organisation in Switzerland. “We wanted to get a picture of what is known about the presence of PFAS in food packaging.”

Geueke and her colleagues analysed 1312 studies carried out around the world that detailed the chemicals that come into contact with food, which could occur during manufacturing, packaging or cooking. They then cross-referenced these chemicals to a list of known PFAS.

The team discovered that 68 PFAS are commonly found across materials that come into contact with food, such as packaging and cookware. Of these, 61 weren’t previously known to be present in such materials and therefore haven’t been included on regulatory lists that dictate the use of PFAS.

Just 39 of the 68 PFAS have been examined for toxicity. One of the substances that has been analysed is perfluorooctanoic acid, which is classified as possibly cancer-causing to people, based on limited evidence that it can cause testicular and kidney cancer, says Geueke.

“I think it should be the responsibility of the manufacturers to make sure that PFAS are used as little as possible,” she says. Regulators around the world are working in the right direction, she says.

For example, there was a recent proposal in the European Union to ban most PFAS. And in February, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that certain grease-proofing materials containing PFAS will no longer be sold for use in food packaging.

Study reveals many hair care products contain a potentially dangerous compound that can harm the environment and humans

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People often use hair care products to keep their hair healthy and lustrous, but are these products really safe? According to the alarming results of one study, some hair care products often contain decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, a volatile compound more commonly known as D5.

In many countries, particularly those in the European Union (EU), the amount of D5 that can be used in products is limited because the compound has been found in aquatic ecosystems and marine life.

D5 also has lubricating properties. The ingredient gives a slippery and silky feeling when applied to the skin and hair, and it allows a product to spread more easily. This is why D5 is used in medical implants, lubricants, sealants and windshield coatings.

Details of the study were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. D5, also known as cyclopentasiloxane, is used in different personal care products, such as:

  • Antiperspirant
  • Concealer
  • Deodorant
  • Eyeliner
  • Eye shadow
  • Foundation
  • Hair conditioner
  • Hair detangling products
  • Hair spray
  • Hairstyling gel and lotion
  • Lipstick
  • Moisturizer with SPF
  • Shampoo
  • Sunscreen
  • Waterproof mascara

D5 can harm the respiratory tract, liver and nervous system

The scientists who conducted the study reported that D5 has been found to “lead to adverse effects on the respiratory tract, liver, and nervous system of laboratory animals.”

Unlike the EU, the U.S. is not restricted in its use of D5 in personal care products. Because of this, a research team made up of experts from Indiana University and Purdue University tried to find out what, if any, amount of D5 is safe, particularly in indoor settings.

The study findings revealed that common leave-in hair care products expose people to a potentially toxic amount of D5. The exposure also increases when using appliances like hair straighteners. (Related: 7 TOXIC ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products.)

Researchers conducted the study in a specially controlled environment at Purdue University called the “Zero Energy Design Guidance for Engineers” (zEDGE).

zEDGE is a tiny house that allowed the researchers to control the air temperature, humidity and ventilation in different rooms, including the bathroom.

During 46 experiments, the scientists instructed the volunteers, who were between the ages of 18 and 65, to go through their typical hair care routine within the zEDGE under different air environments.

Using the zEDGE, the research team would make changes such as turning the exhaust fan on high, opening windows and venting air to the outside.

According to initial measurements, the study participants could inhale up to 20 milligrams (mg) of D5 per 20-minute hair session in a room without ventilation.

The researchers also reported that the volunteers with longer hair were exposed to 2.5 to 5.4 more emissions than individuals with short hair. Additionally, if the volunteers used appliances to heat their hair, exposure increased.

The worst offender was hair straighteners, which increased an individual’s exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 145 percent, versus a curling iron, which increased exposure by at least 65 percent.

To avoid exposure, the scientists recommended avoiding the products altogether.

If this isn’t an option, they said the next best solution would be to run an exhaust fan while using such products. The researchers explained that turning on a fan could reduce peak exposure by at least 70 percent, and the concentration is reduced by up to 95 percent after 20 minutes.

However, even using a fan has disadvantages. The researchers said that exposure to the chemicals didn’t stop with the person who coifed their hair.

Depending on the ventilation system, other people, including those outdoors and in urban environments, could be at risk for exposure to VOCs, particularly D5.

While past research showed that wash-off products containing D5 are not toxic to humans, animals or aquatic organisms, the silicone-based chemical can also accumulate.

The EU has enforced a strict limit on D5 because of how much it accumulates in the water. Experts have voiced their concerns because the chemical bioaccumulates through the food chain once it builds up in a body of water.

 Chemicals, Vaccines, and Bill Gates: What You Need To Know About The Zika

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Let’s try this one more time.. The Zika virus does not cause microcephaly.

Zika has existed for more than 70 years without a single documented birth defect attributed to the disease. The virus is insignificant and more mild than the seasonal flu, with symptoms ranging from a low-grade fever to body aches and other cold-like symptoms.

Bill-Gates-Zika-Connection

The fact of the matter is Big Chem has pesticides to sell and Big Pharma has a vaccine to push.

Suddenly, a disease that has been irrelevant for decades is an imminent health threat.

A gullible public has been tricked into believing the only way to save ourselves from certain death or deformed babies is to allow the aerial abatement of chemicals banned all over the world.

For example, this past weekend’s spraying in South Carolina was successful in wiping out those pesky Zika-carrying skeets. Too bad it also decimated the state’s bee population.

“On Saturday, it was total energy, millions of bees foraging, pollinating, making honey for winter. Today, it stinks of death. Maggots and other insects are feeding on the honey and the baby bees who are still in the hives. It’s heartbreaking.” -Juanita Stanley, Beekeeper

Millions of bees are dead as a result of the state’s first aerial spraying in 14 years. The pesticide, Trumpet (which contains naled), rained down from the sky for 2 hours early Sunday morning.

According to the manufacturer’s label, Trumpet is “highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds. To minimize hazard to bees, it is recommended that the product is not applied more than two hours after sunrise or two hours before sunset, limiting application to times when bees are least active.”

Hmmm…it must have been just an unfortunate oversight to spray heavily during the precise time explicitly discouraged on the label. But, hey, at least AMVAC Chemical Corporation and their parent company, American Vanguard Corporation are making millions.

Chemical corporations aren’t the only ones who will profit from an insignificant disease.

The U.S. government has commissioned Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for the development of a Zika vaccine, with as much as $312 million committed to funding.

Takeda said in a press release that the cash will be put to the development of an “inactivated, adjuvanted, whole Zika virus vaccine.”

Takeda Pharmaceutical has plans for more than just a “cure” for Zika. The Japan-based Takeda also has vaccines for dengue, norovirus and polio in the works.

“This Zika vaccine program joins our work in dengue, norovirus, our partnership with the Japanese Government on pandemic influenza, and the recently announced partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio. These efforts to develop a vaccine against the Zika virus reinforce Takeda’s commitment to the health of people everywhere, including the most vulnerable populations that are threatened by Zika,” stated Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, Corporate Officer and President of the Global Vaccine Business Division at Takeda.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, you say? Now, that’s interesting.

How convenient that their little foundation has also funded Oxitec, the genetically modified mosquito project that many believe is actually spreading the Zika virus. What a clever guy. After all, there is quite a bit of profit in unleashing a disease on the population and then creating the vaccine to ‘cure’ it. (Read more about that here.)

As reported by Daniel Barker:

It’s easy to see where the Zika virus crisis might fit in with Bill Gates’ admitted depopulation agenda. Not only are babies being born nearly brain-dead, but now women throughout Latin America are being urged not to have children during the next two years. Coincidence?

And in the latest Zika news, GM mosquitoes are now being considered for use in fighting the further spread of the virus.

And of course, researchers are scrambling to develop a vaccine…

The irony should not be lost on anyone that the proposed solutions for Zika containment (chemicals, vaccines) are the real causes behind the birth defects being blamed on the virus.

1. Monsanto’s Chemicals

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, “probably” causes cancer according the the World Health Organization. It has also been linked to microcephaly.

The link was established in a study titled ‘Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Produce Teratogenic Effects on Vertebrates by Impairing Retinoic Acid Signaling.’

In the study, glyphosate-based concentrations were injected into frog and chicken embryos and it was discovered that microcephaly was a side effect in both, along with gradual loss of rhombomere domains and the reduction of the optic vesicles (the latter two are developing parts of the brain in an embryo). (Read the study here.)

Global Research Center also released a different report confirming Brazil’s rampant pesticide use if far more of a concern in microcephaly development than Zika.

According to the report:

“Pesticides in Brazil and Pernambuco state are more likely to be the cause of microcephaly and birth defects than Zika virus and the links below speak for themselves…” (View the links here.)

2. Tdap Vaccine

A study published in The National Center for Biotechnology Information reveals the the United Stated government has known for decades that a link between Tdap and microcephaly exists.

An exert from the study reads:

Prenatal factors are thought to account for 20 to 30 percent of cases. This category includes cerebral anomalies, chromosomal disorders, neurocutaneous syndromes such as tuberous sclerosis, inherited metabolic disorders, intrauterine infections, family history of seizures, and microcephaly (Bobele and Bodensteiner, 1990; Kurokawa et al., 1980; Ohtahara, 1984; Riikonen and Donner, 1979). (Read the full study here.)

At the end of 2014, the Brazilian government mandated the Tdap vaccine for all pregnant women and in the final months of 2015, the Zika-induced microcephaly ‘outbreak’ was all CNN could talk about.

29 countries all over the world have reported cases of the Zika virus, but not a single documented cases of Zika-related microcephaly exists anywhere but Brazil. That’s odd.

The Outliers has compiled a great fact sheet that everyone should read before receiving the Tdap vaccine. We still have a choice, despite the recent revelation of a CDC Quarantine Committee hell-bent on force vaccinating the American public. (Read about that here.)

Thank you to The Outliers for this invaluable information about the Tdap vaccine that the CDC pushes for every pregnancy, regardless of the patient’s previous history of receiving the vaccine.

FACT #1.There are ingredients in the pertussis-containing Tdap vaccine that have not been fully evaluated for potential genotoxic or other adverse effects on the human fetus developing in the womb that may negatively affect health after birth, including aluminum adjuvants, mercury containing (Thimerosal) preservatives and many more bioactive and potentially toxic ingredients.

FACT #2.The FDA has licensed Tdap vaccines to be given once as a single dose pertussis booster shot to individuals over 10 or 11 years old. The CDC’s recommendation that doctors give every pregnant woman a Tdap vaccination during every pregnancy—regardless of whether a woman has already received one dose of Tdap—is an off-label use of the vaccine.

FACT #3.According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adequate testing has not been done in humans to demonstrate safety for pregnant women and it is not known whether the vaccines can cause fetal harm or affect reproduction capacity. The manufacturers of the Tdap vaccine state that human toxicity and fertility studies are inadequate and warn that Tdap should “be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.”

FACT #4.Drug companies did not test the safety and effectiveness of giving Tdap vaccine to pregnant women before the vaccines were licensed in the U.S. and there is almost no data on inflammatory or other biological responses to this vaccine that could affect pregnancy and birth outcomes.

In late 2014, the Ministry of Health of Brazil announced the introduction of the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) vaccine for all pregnant women in that country as part of its routine vaccination program. The move was aimed at trying to contain the resurgence of pertussis in Brazil.

In December 2015, the Brazilian government declared an emergency after 2,400 Brazilian babies were found to be born with shrunken heads (microcephaly) and damaged brains since October.

Brazilian public health officials don’t know what is causing the increase in microcephaly cases in babies born in Brazil, but they are theorizing that it may be caused by a virus known as “Zika,” which is spread by mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti)—in the same way as is the West Nile virus.

The theory is largely based on the fact that they found the Zika virus in a baby with microcephaly following an autopsy of the dead child. The virus was also found in the amniotic fluid of two mothers whose babies had the condition.

Note that Zika is not a new virus; it has been around for decades. No explanation has been given as to why suddenly it could be causing all these cases of microcephaly. No one is seriously asking the question, “What has changed?”

There is no theorizing about the possibility that the cases of microcephaly could be linked to the mandating of the Tdap vaccine for all pregnant women in Brazil about 10 months earlier. The government has “assumed” the cause is a virus.

FACT—Drug companies did not test the safety and effectiveness of giving Tdap vaccine to pregnant women before the vaccines were licensed in the U.S. and there is almost no data on inflammatory or other biological responses to this vaccine that could affect pregnancy and birth outcomes.

FACT—According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adequate testing has not been done in humans to demonstrate safety for pregnant women and it is not known whether the vaccines can cause fetal harm or affect reproduction capacity. The manufacturers of the Tdap vaccine state that human toxicity and fertility studies are inadequate and warn that Tdap should “be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.”

FACT—There are ingredients pertussis containing Tdap vaccine that have not been fully evaluated for potential genotoxic or other adverse effects on the human fetus developing in the womb that may negatively affect health after birth, including aluminum adjuvants, mercury containing (Thimerosal) preservatives and many more bioactive and potentially toxic ingredients.

FACT—There are serious problems with outdated testing procedures for determining the potency and toxicity of pertussis vaccines and some scientists are calling for limits to be established for specific toxin content of pertussis-containing vaccines.

FACT—There are no published biological mechanism studies that assess pre-vaccination health status and measure changes in brain and immune function and chromosomal integrity after vaccination of pregnant women or their babies developing in the womb.

FACT—Since licensure of Tdap vaccine in the U.S., there have been no well designed prospective case controlled studies comparing the health outcomes of large groups of women who get pertussis containing Tdap vaccine during pregnancy either separately or simultaneously compared to those who do not get the vaccines, and no similar health outcome comparisons of their newborns at birth or in the first year of life have been conducted. Safety and effectiveness evaluations that have been conducted are either small, retrospective, compare vaccinated women to vaccinated women or have been performed by drug company or government health officials using unpublished data.

FACT—The FDA has licensed Tdap vaccines to be given once as a single dose pertussis booster shot to individuals over 10 or 11 years old. The CDC’s recommendation that doctors give every pregnant woman a Tdap vaccination during every pregnancy—regardless of whether a woman has already received one dose of Tdap—is an off-label use of the vaccine.

FACT—Injuries and deaths from pertussis-containing vaccines are the most compensated claims in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) and influenza vaccine injuries and deaths are the second most compensated claim.

FACT—A 2013 published study evaluating reports of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following vaccination in the U. S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) and in a European vaccine reaction reporting system found that pertussis containing DTaP was among the vaccines most frequently associated with brain inflammation in children between birth and age five.

Tdap is manufactured by two pharmaceutical companies: Sanofi Pasteur of France and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) of the United Kingdom.

The Sanofi Pasteur product contains aluminum phosphate, residual formaldehyde, residual glutaraldehyde, and 2-phenoxyethanola, along with the following growth mediums and process ingredients: Stainer-Scholte medium, casamino acids, dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, aluminum phosphate, modified Mueller-Miller casamino acid medium without beef heart infusion, ammonium sulfate, 2-phenoxyethanol, water for injection.

The GSK product contains aluminum hydroxide, sodium chloride, residual formaldehyde, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), along with the following growth mediums and process ingredients: modified Latham medium derived from bovine casein, Fenton medium containing bovine extract, formaldehyde, Stainer-Scholte liquid medium, glutaraldehyde, aluminum hydroxide.

Unsurprisingly, the Brazilian government announced on January 15, 2016 it will direct funds to a biomedical research center (Sao Paulo-based Butantan Institute) to help develop a vaccine against Zika. Development of the vaccine is expected to take 3-5 years. Again, no consideration to the irony that you may be developing a vaccine to address a problem that may have been CAUSED by a vaccine, and that that new vaccine may COMPOUND the problem No consideration to the possibility that the answer to the problem may not be to do MORE, but rather to do LESS (simply STOP giving Tdcap to pregnant women).

The number of cases iof microcephaly in Brazil has grown to 3,530 babies, as of mid-January 2016. Fewer than 150 such cases were seen in all of 2014.

Most of the microcephaly cases have been concentrated in Brazil’s poor northeast, though cases in Rio de Janeiro and other big cities have also been on the rise, prompting people to stock up on mosquito repellent. Health officials are warning Brazilians—especially pregnant women—to stay inside when possible and wear plenty of bug spray if they have to go out.

Wanna look up the ingredients in mosquito spray? Oh, and what deadly insecticide do you reckon they’ll mass fumigate with? DDT perhaps?

There shouldnt be outrage and questions regarding the release of the multi millions of genetically modified (GM) Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in April and July 2015 in Brazil que created this outbreak and prior to que in Malaysia, and before que secretly in the Cayman Islands by the British company Oxitec for profit and on the NYSE who may very well be Responsible for this outbreak and its mutation. The GM Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was made with protein fragments inserted of E.coli, Herpes virus and cabbage. Male mosquitoes are not the only ones released and a small percentage of females are released too, the ones que can not be all separated. It’s unknown what a bite from a GM mosquitoes can do to humans because it’s all an experiment. Human consequências are completely unknown! Oxitec is funded by the Bill Gates Foundation on top of it. This is not a coincidence! These new Symptoms, Zika virus rare before the release of GM mosquitoes? Tetracycline invalidates Their dying and it can be gotten by mosquitoes from water and soil containing it. Oxitec in my opinion May Be Responsible for this and it’s ‘Crime Against Humanity.’ Now Oxitec wants to release more to conquer this outbreak Zika virus to make more money? this has not been tested on humans people!There is no way que this outbreak and epidemic in Brazil is coincidental.even more in the Brazilian Northeast where there is majority of cases, but this Brazilian region is known for severe drought centuries of the times of colonial Brazil and never had cases of this kind only after genetically modified mosquito infestation that was epidemic.virus has existed in africa decade and never had anencefalia cases caused by zika in Brazil e america central just after the mosquito transgenic where it was played that began to emerge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nacrqgeSIdQ

6 Nutrient Deficiencies that Can Cause Depression & Mood Disorders

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Did you know simply nutrient deficiencies can drastically increase your chances of having depression and other mood disorders? Nutrient-related disorders are always treatable and deficiencies are usually curable.

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The good news is that there are ways to confront these deficiencies. You can work with an integrative health physician to determine where your nutrition levels are and how you can counteract the associated effects.

6 Nutrient Deficiencies that Can Cause Depression & Mood Disorders

Vitamin B6

A deficiency of vitamin B6 can also lead to depression and other cognitive disorders. This nutrient is required for creating neurotransmitters and brain chemicals that influence your mood. It even helps keep the nervous system healthy. Furthermore, vitamin B6 helps the body absorb vitamin B12, the deficiency of which is also linked to depression.

Vitamin D

This deficiency has been linked to depression, dementia, and autism. Most of our levels drop off during the fall and winter months, since the sunlight is the richest source. An adequate level of serotonin helps prevent and treat mild depression. In addition, vitamin D is important for the immune system and bone health.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the special building blocks of protein, some of which gets transformed in our bodies into neurotransmitters. Without adequate amino acids, your brain can’t work and you get sluggish, foggy, unfocused, and depressed. Amino acids are found in meat, eggs, fish, beans, seeds, and nuts.

Magnesium

Magnesium is another important nutrient, the deficiency of which can lead to depression. It helps activate enzymes needed for serotonin and dopamine production. It also influences several systems associated with development of depression. In addition, it keeps your bones healthy, reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure, to name a few.

Zinc

Zinc is used by more enzymes (and we have over 300) than any other mineral. It is crucial to many of our systems. It activates our digestive enzymes so that we can break down our food and works to prevent food allergies (which, in turn, averts depression, since some of our mood disruptions are triggered by food allergies). It also helps our DNA to repair and produce proteins. Finally, zinc helps control inflammation and boosts our immune system.

Selenium

Selenium is also essential to brain functioning and helps improve mood and depressive symptoms. Moreover, selenium plays an important role in proper thyroid functioning. A healthy thyroid is important for mental health.