Poor Diet can Negatively Effect your Mental Health

"New research suggests that food can have a powerful influence on cognition and mental health."

For all the scrutiny over the negative effects that a bad diet has on the body, the effects that poor dietary choices have on the brain are still largely unexposed. However, new research suggests that food can have a powerful influence on cognition and mental health. Although strongly emphasized in general practice, the role of diet is commonly overlooked in mental health practice. Dr. Ramsey, who wrote The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body, advocates that diet be discussed with anyone suffering from a severe mental illness.  If a patient has certain nutrient deficiencies, it will be difficult for any medications to help until such deficiencies are treated, he explains.

A series of studies conducted at the Deakin University in Melbourne showed a poor diet to be associated with cognitive defects. In one study of 2054 Australian adolescents, a diet consisting of “junk food,” ranging from chips, cookies, pizza and soda was associated with a worsening mental health status during a 2 year period. Another study of more than 23,020 women and children in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study showed that high consumption of junk foods during pregnancy and during the first 5 years of life predicted problems such as aggression, hyperactivity, and tantrums among children.

Other research shows that children with unhealthy diets postnatally have had greater problems with externatlizing and well as internalizing problems, such as worrying, sadness, and anxiety, and that older adults are at lower risk for depression and anxiety with a better quality diet.  Furthermore, it has been found that a diet high in saturated fats and refined sugars have a very negative impact on brain proteins involved in depression-neurotrophins, which protect the brain oxidative stress and promote growth of new brain cells.

Spring: A Perfect Time to Detox

"A detox is a commitment of changing your diet, increasing your exercise level, drinking a lot of water, taking supplements that detoxify the liver, kidney’s, lungs, intestines and skin."

Spring is finally upon us.  We had a great season with a lot of great skiing conditions; in fact, some of the best skiing conditions in years.  Spring is a good time to clean our house from clutter and our closets by putting away the winter cloths. Spring is also a good time to clean our internal environment. The best way to clean our internal environment is through detoxification.  The environment we live in is more toxic than it was even ten years ago.  We are exposed to chemical toxins on a daily basis in our air, water and food. 

Nearly all cultures and religions have some form of purification and cleaning rituals.  In Catholicism there are rituals of fasting and dietary restrictions such as Lent and Fridays which fish is eaten.  Native Americans have a rite of passage called vision quest which involves fasting and heat treatments called sweat lodges.  Ayurvedic traditions use constitutional specific diets and cleansing called pancha karma.  Scientologists have what is called a purification rundown focusing on cleansing the mind and body.  In Europe heat treatments such as saunas, baths and steams are a commonplace.   Islamic traditions include extensive fasting for Ramadan. 

The most common environmental toxins are pesticides, solvents and heavy metals.  Of the heavy metals Mercury, Lead, Uranium and Arsenic are the most common I see in the Vail area.  New diagnoses of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) are becoming more common.   MCH is caused by overexposure to environmental toxins resulting in an increased sensitivity to them.  These compounds are found in many chemicals, perfumes and dyes.  Our ability to detoxify the substances we encounter on a daily basis is critical to our health.  Once the detoxification system becomes overloaded, incomplete byproducts accumulate causing us to become very sensitive to the chemicals that surround us. 

Symptoms related to toxic exposure include allergies, fibromyalgia, fatigue, depression, anxiety, constipation, arthritis, headaches, autoimmune diseases such as MS and rheumatoid arthritis, chronic sinusitis, yeast infections and obesity.  

A detox is a commitment of changing your diet, increasing your exercise level, drinking a lot of water, taking supplements that detoxify the liver, kidney’s, lungs, intestines and skin.  It also includes a physical modality such as saunas , massage, yoga, craniosacral treatments, colonics etc.  Detoxification is an individualized treatment since we all have different health issues, toxic exposures and dietary needs. 

To discuss your individual needs please or set up an appointment for an individualized detox plan please call Dr. Wiancek at 970-926-7606.

Deborah Wiancek, N.D.

Riverwalk Natural Health

280 Main St., Ste C-105

Edwards, CO 81632

970-926-7606

Taking Tylenol during Pregnancy Linked to Kids’ ADHD

A new study shows that the probability of a child developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms demanding medication increased the most- 63 percent- when his or her mother took acetaminophen during the last two trimesters of pregnancy.  

Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and Panadol and is also a component of Excedrin, among other common pain relievers.

Researchers found that children of women who used acetaminophen during pregnancy were about 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children of mothers who took none. The probability rose by 28 percent when acetaminophen was used in the third trimester alone. When a pregnant woman reported taking the drug in her first trimester of pregnancy only, the added risk was just 9 percent.

The study, led by Miriam Cooper of the University of Cardiff in Wales, does not establish that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen caused the observed increase in diagnosed hyperactivity disorders, prescriptions for ADHD medications, or emotional problems in children reported by parents.  Cooper stated that without more details on how acetaminophen might lay the foundations for ADHD, the findings should be interpreted cautiously.  

The Dirty Dozen

"There is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides can significantly affect our health, especially in-utero and throughout early childhood."

Pesticides are inherently toxic substances that are designed to kill living organisms-insects, plants, and fungi that are considered to be “pests”. In humans, pesticides are known to disturb the central nervous system, the reproductive organs, and the endocrine (hormone) system in the body. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides.

Although it's important to wash produce thoroughly before eating it, washing may not be enough to remove the chemical and pesticide residues. Your best protection is to choose organic foods whenever possible. Organic foods are not only free from toxic chemicals and genetic modification, but contain 2-5 x more nutrients than conventionally grown foods. 

If expense is an issue, at least try to buy organic versions of the most highly contaminated foods. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization that advocates in Washington D.C. for policies to protect global and individual health, we can lower pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent simply by avoiding the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (called the “dirty dozen”). 

The Dirty Dozen (buy these organic)                                              
-Peaches                                                                                         
-Apples                                                                                                
-Sweet Bell Peppers                                                                          
-Celery                                                                                              
-Nectarines                                                                                        
-Strawberries                                                                                        
-Cherries                                                                                              
-Lettuce/Spinach/Kale                                                                        
-Grapes (Imported)                                                                             
-Carrots                                                                                            
-Pears                                                                                                
-Potatoes                                                                                            
-Broccoli 
-Tomato 
-Sweet potato

The Clean 15
-Onion
-Avocado
-Sweet Corn
-Pineapple
-Mango
-Asparagus
-Sweet Peas
-Kiwi
-Cabbage
-Eggplant
-Papaya
-Watermelon

Don't see your favorites? Get the full list at www.foodnews.org

Is it the Gluten or is it the Glyphosate?

New evidence suggests that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup (one of the most commonly applied weed killers), is to blame for the rise of gluten intolerance, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. A study recently published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Toxicology by Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff explains how the wide spread use of glyphosate as a crop desiccant (or drying agent) is entering our food chain and making us sick.

The application of glyphosate to wheat and barley as a desiccant was suggested as early as 1980, and its use as a drying agent 7-10 days before harvest has since become routine. It is now used on crops including rice, seeds, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, dried beans and peas, and sugar beets in addition to all grain crops. According to the Pulse Growers Association in Canada, desiccants are used by growers worldwide who are producing crops that ‘drying down’ to create uniformity of plant material at harvest.

Samsel and Seneff state that in 2004 glyphosate was used to treat 13% of the wheat in the UK and by 2006, 94% of UK growers used glyphosate on 40% of cereal and 80% of oilseed crops for weed control or harvest management. A report on glyphosate residues in food in the UK states that residues as high as 1.1 parts per million (PPM) were detected in whole wheat flour. 2.7 PPM was found in dried beans and 11PPM in dried chickpeas.

Despite numerous letters and documents submitted in protest, just last July the EPA raised the maximum allowable residues of glyphosate in our food, likely to accommodate levels already present. A study by Gasnier et al. cited evidence that glyphosate-based herbicides are endocrine disruptors in human cells.  Gasnier reported toxic effects to liver cells at 5ppm, and the first endocrine disrupting actions at .5 PPM.

Samsel and Seneff have researched known effects of glyphosate and its ability to cause disruption of gut bacteria, breakdown in the junction of the intestinal wall, depletion of vital minerals, vitamins and nutrients, and impairment of cytochrome enzymes that aid the liver in detoxification, thus multiplying the effect of other environmental toxins to which we are exposed to in increasing amounts.

A significant increase in the amount of glyphosate applied to wheat correlates with the rise of celiac disease, peritonitis, and deaths due to intestinal infection. Samsel and Seneff argue that not these diseases not only have an environmental factor, but that not all patient’s symptoms are alleviated by eliminating gluten from the diet, indicative of another cause.

Consumption of sugary Drinks linked to Cancer in Postmenopausal Women

New research suggests that postmenopausal women who consume soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages are more likely to develop the most common type of endometrial cancer than women who stay away from sugary drinks.

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health study, which was published in the in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that women who reported the highest intake of sugar-sweetened beverages had a 78 percent increased risk for estrogen-dependent type I endometrial cancer. The correlation was found to be dose-dependent: the more sugar-sweetened beverages a woman drank, the higher her risk.

Researchers used data from 23,039 postmenopausal women who reported dietary intake, demographic information, and medical history in 1986, prior to the cancer diagnosis, as part of the Iowa Women’s Health Study. The subjects' dietary intake was assessed using the Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire, which included four questions about how frequently the women drank sugar-sweetened beverages such as Coke, Pepsi and Hawaiian Punch in the previous 12 months.

To the leader of the study, Maki Inoue-Choi, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., it was not surprising to that women who consumed a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages were at a higher risk of estrogen-dependent type I endometrial cancer but not estrogen-independent type II endometrial cancer. “Other studies have shown increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has paralleled the increase in obesity. Obese women tend to have higher levels of estrogens and insulin than women of normal weight. Increased levels of estrogens and insulin are established risk factors for endometrial cancer”, said Inoue Choi.

Hundreds of Foods in the U.S contain ADA plastics Chemical

Nearly 500 foods on grocery store shelves in the United States, including foods labeled as “healthy,” contain a potentially harmful industrial plastic chemical.  A report by the Environmental Working Group concluded that Azodicarbonamide, also known as ADA was found in various found bread products including tortillas, bagels, hamburger buns and pastries and other food products.

Although fully approved for use in food by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Candadian Food Inspection Agency, ADA is banned as an additive in Australia and some European countries.

Azodicarbonamide is used by bakers as a flour bleaching agent and as an oxidizing agent in dough to improve its performance. In addition to being food additive, it also used in plastics to improve elasticity and can be found in yoga mats and shoes.

According to the World Health Organization, epidemiological studies in humans and other reports have produced "abundant evidence that azodicarbonamide can induce asthma, other respiratory symptoms, and skin sensitization" to people working with the chemical.

Currently, the FDA states that azodicarbonamide can be used safely if the amount in flour does not exceed 2.05 grams per 100 pounds of flour or 45 parts per million.  However, the Environmental Working Group states that manufacturers should immediately end the use of ADA in food altogether.   This past month U.S. Senator Charles Schumer this called on the FDA to ban ADA from foods.