Mercury Free Vaccines

Finally, most vaccines given to infants are now mercury or thimerosal free* with the exception of flu shots or the tetanus-diphtheria shots given to children 7 years or older. The CDC estimates that most vaccines given out since 2003 had been thimerosal free.

Unfortunately, the FDA now admits that infants prior to 2003, who were following the recommended vaccination schedule, may have been exposed to mercury that exceed mercury safety limits set by the EPA. The FDA website says:

…depending on the vaccine formulations used and the weight of the infant, some infants could have been exposed to cumulative levels of mercury during the first six months of life that exceeded EPA recommended guidelines for safe intake of methylmercury.

One estimate shows that a 7.5 lbs infant given the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth is exposed to mercury levels that exceed EPA guidelines by 36%!

Removing mercury in vaccines is certainly a step in the right direction. But it doesn’t mean that these vaccines, specially the manner they are administered where infants are exposed to several pathogens all at once, are now suddenly completely safe. Parents should still weigh the pros and cons of each vaccine that their child receives, the age at which they receive them, and the scheduling of the shots.

*mercury free means that the vaccine can still contain up to 0.0002% mercury.

Diabetes: Weight Training Works

Several studies now show the importance of using weights or resistance training among diabetics:

One study showed that 16 weeks of weight training among type 2 diabetics improved muscle quality, made the use of insulin more efficient and decreased inflammation. Study ID: 17211497

In fact, a separate study shows that strength training is more beneficial than aerobic type of exercise. Researchers concluded:

Srength training was more effective than endurance training in improving glycemic control. With the added advantage of an improved lipid profile, we conclude that strength training may play an important role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Study ID: 16084803

See pubmed for the articles.

Why dietary changes help Autism

Many parents report that their children’s symptoms of Autism improve when they avoid certain foods–chocolate, dairy, wheat, corn, bananas, apples. What’s the biochemistry behind this observation?

A pilot study done in Italy has shown that children with Autism have a harder time metabolizing certain chemicals that are found in food. One particular group, phenolic amines, are known to be neurotoxic and can aggravate symptoms of Autism.

Read the study abstract on pubmed. Study ID: 10435209

Mercury Causes Immune System Dysfunction

While mercury has long been proven to be neurotoxic, new evidence shows that mercury is toxic to the immune system as well. Several animal model studies have shown that mercury can increase production of antibodies, or anti-nuclear antibodies, or produce lupus-like symptoms–the same manifestations we see in many auto-immune conditions.

Researchers at the John Hopkins University, after studying human subjects in the Amazon basin found:

significantly increased prevalence of antinuclear and antinucleolar antibodies and a positive interaction between mercury and malaria. These results suggest a new model for mercury immunotoxicity, as a co-factor in autoimmune disease, increasing the risks and severity of clinical disease in the presence of other triggering events, either genetic or acquired.

The malaria component of the study is interesting because it suggests that a triggering event, such as malaria or another infection, can begin the auto-immune disease process. Clinically, we often hear of many patients whose auto-immune diseases begin after a bout with EBV, bad flu, or similar infections.

76% of Parents Think Mercury Detox Helps Autism

23,700 parents of children with autism have spoken: a survey conducted by the Autism Research Institute shows that among parents who pursued heavy metal chelation as a treatment, 76% reported improvements.

The second most effective therapy cited by parents was dietary changes (gluten and casein elimination)–65% said it helped.

Heavy Metal Removal Improves Kidney Function

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that non-diabetic patients who received heavy metal chelation for lead were able to improve their kidney function or at least limit disease progression compared to controls.

Because almost everyone is exposed to lead these days, it is reasonable to investigate if a person with deteriorating kidney function does have elevated lead levels. In this study, 64 of 202 patients (more than 1 and 4 persons) were found to have elevated lead levels, and were given chelation therapy, which improved their kidney function.

Autism and Inflammation

Several studies now show that children with Autism have lower markers for anti-oxidant molecules such as glutathione and super-oxide dismutase. We still don’t know if it’s because they tend to produce fewer enzymes that make the anti-oxidants, or if they just use more anti-oxidants because of greater oxidative stress. Or both.

Many patients have reported improvement with improvement in their anti-oxidant status, either through supplementation or by eliminating things that cause oxidation.

What causes oxidative stress? Some culprits may be an undiagnosed food allergy–perhaps to wheat or milk proteins, or heavy metals which are potent oxidizers.

Smelly Paint

Thinking of doing some painting in your living space? Consider using non-toxic paints, which are now available.

Toluene and other organic (i.e. carbon-containing-molecule) solvents have been linked to a host of illnesses: neurological complaints, memory loss, Parkinson’s, fertility problems, lung cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is based on epidemiologic data.

Instead, ask for zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound), water-based paints. Note that “zero-VOC” can still contain up to 5g of VOC per liter. If solvents are unavoidable, you can hasten its evaporation by turning up the heat in your home while you are out, the first few days after a paint job. If you’ve been exposed, know that glutathione (the body’s anti-oxidant) is involved in metabolizing toluene. Glutathione is increased by selenium, turmeric, alpha lipoic acid and Vitamin C.

To see the abstract of relevant studies, go to pubmed. Study ID’s 15146016,14695312,16034164,16732556,16878041,16757511,15076649, 14758870.

Mercury May Play Big Role in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A study done by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden links mercury and heavy metals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They found:

• That 83% reported long term health benefits following dental amalgam removal; 22% no change, and 2% worsening.
• These findings were not only subjective. They found that among persons with CFS, their lymphocytes (or immune cells) were more reactive to heavy metals compared to healthy individuals, particularly to inorganic mercury, phenylmercury and gold.

You can view the study abstract by visiting pubmed. Study ID is 11460087.

Genetic Basis for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Here’s more evidence to support the theory that Multiple Chemical Sensitivity may be caused by an impaired ability to metabolize toxins or chemicals.

This study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, showed that there were significant genetic differences in people with MCS vs controls in two specific genes (CYP2D6 and NAT2) which are known to be used in the body’s detoxification pathways.

Interestingly, in MCS sufferers, there is a greater chance that these genes are active. CYP2D6 is known to both activate and deactivate detox pathways, while NAT2 is involved with converting arylamines to metabolites. It is possible that when these genes are upregulated, the intermediary metabolites created may cause more symptoms than the original toxin itself.