Health & Wellness
"For the first time, we can see that breast milk induces genetic pathways that are quite different from those in formula-fed infants. Although formula makers have tried to develop a product that's as much like breast milk as possible, hundreds of genes were expressed differently in the breast-fed and formula-fed groups," said Sharon Donovan, a U of I professor of nutrition.
The study of epigenetics blows a hole through the idea that our genetics are written in stone.
Science proves that environmental factors and lifestyle choices have the effect of switching certain genes on or off.
Identical twins are ideal for studies in epigenetics because their DNA starts out identical, yet each individual's choices (across the board) and the various environmental impacts on the conditions of their individual lives causes each individual identical twin to differ in activated genetics and in appearance to their twin brother or sister, over the course of their lives. It turns out that it really matters what you eat, drink and smoke -- and how much exercise you get...
The study of epigenetics has many implications, in the field of health and healing.
Frankfurt, Germany - A major new scientific study has confirmed growing conviction that the world's most widely used chemical herbicide, Monsanto Corporation's Roundup is toxic and a danger to human as well as animal organisms. The latest scientific research carried out by a multinational scientific team headed by Professor Andrés Carrasco, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Embryology at the University of Buenos Aires Medical School and member of Argentina's National Council of Scientific and Technical Research, presents alarming demonstration that Monsanto and the GMO agribusiness industry have systematically lied about the safety of their Roundup. Roundup in far lower concentrations than used in agriculture is linked to birth defects. The health implications are huge. All major GMO crops on the market today are genetically manipulated to "tolerate" the herbicide Roundup.
Glyphosate was patented by Monsanto in the 1970's well before GMO was commercialized, as a so-called broad-spectrum weed killer. It is typically sprayed and absorbed through the leaves, or used as a forestry herbicide. It was initially patented and sold by Monsanto under the trade name Roundup, which also contains non-disclosed added chemicals the company refuses to divulge for "trade secret" reasons. As of 2005, 87% of all US soybean fields were planted with glyphosate-resistant varieties of GMO soybeans and sprayed with Roundup.
When looking for new ways to treat aggressive brain cancers, an international team of scientists turned a new leaf and "discovered" the lowly daffodil. A new research study published in the November 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal offers hope that a natural compound found in daffodil bulbs, called narciclasine, may be a powerful therapeutic against biologically aggressive forms of human brain cancers.
But three major issues became abundantly clear as the day wore on in that windowless, generic hotel ballroom - three major issues that could affect every single person on this planet for better or for worse.
A recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found the average person has over 91 toxic chemicals in their body. Some people had as many as 165, including 76 known to cause cancer, 94 known to be toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 79 known to cause birth defects and abnormal fetal development.
In a paper published in the British medical journal known as BMJ, investigative journalist Jeanne Lenzer and Shannon Brownlee of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice raise questions about the FDA's oversight, citing a device manufactured by Cyberonics, Inc., of Houston.
The device, known as a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS), is implanted under the skin and sends electrical impulses to stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck. It was approved in 1997 to prevent epileptic seizures on the condition that the company that Cyberonics carry out a post-approval study to examine the safety of the device. The company conducted a study, but did not include any information about deaths among patients who received the device, according to the report. In the 13 years since the device was approved 900 deaths have been reported, according to the report.
Comment: You can stimulate your vagus nerve naturally and thus control epileptic seizures by the simple act of breathing.
It's a question many people may start asking in response to data posted online November 1 in Environmental Science & Technology by a team of university and government scientists. Indeed, the last author on the paper is Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
In recent years, she's teamed up with toxicologist Arnold Schecter of the University of Texas School of Public Health on market-basket analyzes of foods for various potentially toxic pollutants. Like Birnbaum, Schecter initially gained renown for studying dioxins. Now, both have moved into the BPA arena.
That about three quarters of a million people a year are rushed to emergency rooms in the U.S. because of adverse drug reactions, according to the CDC? (2)
That the number of medication-related deaths in the U.S. is estimated at over 200,000 a year, making medications the third or fourth leading cause of death in this country? (3)
That even common pain relievers called NSAIDs, examples of which include Advil, Motrin, Aleve and aspirin, account for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. every year? (4)
Today the "organic" label is being usurped and manipulated by corporate agriculture (BigAgra), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "Natural," "USDA certified" and "organic" are grocery-store terms for food and drink which contains less pesticide residue than other processed items but often contains genetically modified or nano-modified components, as well as harmful additives.












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