Folic acid has always been the most convenient choice to add to supplements, including pre-natal supplements. Most of us get some folic acid in our diet everyday, but not everyone gets enough. It is recommended that women take a multivitamin pill with 400 mcg. of folic acid daily in addition to eating a healthy diet.

Synthetic o manufactured folic acid is added to some grain products like flour, rice, pasta, cornmeal, bread and cereals. These foods are considered “fortified” with folic acid. the natural form of folic acid is “folate”, which is found in foods. The body more readily absorbs folic acid from multi-vitamins and fortified foods but it needs to be in the form of folate. Once in your blood stream, however, you body can’t tell the difference and uses the vitamin for the same purpose.

Sources of folic acid:

• Multivitamin
• breakfast cereals that say “fortified”
• orange juice
• beans, lentils and black-eye peas
• dark green leafy vegetables like spinach
• broccoli, asparagus, green peas and okra
• pasta, torillas and bread products that say enriched or fortified on the label but NOTE: (it will be enriched with folic acid vs. folate)
• rice and grits
• soybeans and tofu
• papaya
• avocados
• peanut butter

BARRIERS TO FOLIC ACID ABSORPTION

Some substances can inhibit folic acid from being absorbed or used by the body. These include:

*alcohol

cigarettes and smoking

antacids and anti-ulce medications

some anti-seizure medication

some anti-cancer drugs

non-steroidals, anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen

oral hypoglcemic agents

MTHFT gene factor inhibits metabolism of folic acid, therefore, the only form your body will be able to metabolize is going to be the natural form of folate.

If you suspect that you may have the MTHFR gene factor, please talk to your doctor about being tested as this is also passed onto your children.

Healthfully yours,

Dr. Jodi Barnett N.D.

Dr. Jodi Barnett N.D.

DISHARMONY”

INTRODUCTION:

There seems to be an increase in the percentages of hormonal imbalances in the American culture.  It appears that this is causing a shift in what our culture deems as “normal” towards disorders of the endocrine system.  There is almost a saturation effect of what our body is being exposed to that functions as endocrine disruptors.  According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,” Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and animals.  There are a wide range of substances, both natural and man-made, which are thought to cause endocrine imbalance and disruption.

Some of these heavy hitters can be found in our everyday products like plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, foods, toys, cosmetics and pesticides.  The NIEHS supports studies to determine whether exposure to these endocrine disruptors may result in adverse health including lowered fertility and an increased incidence of endometriosis and some cancers.  Further research shows that these endocrine bad guys may pose the greatest risk during prenatal and early postnatal development when organ and nervous systems are forming. (Sciences, 2016)

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BODY?

What imbalanced health issues may look like?

• Since they mimic or partly mimic naturally occurring hormones in the body, for Ladies that would be estrogen and for the Gents androgens (aka. Testosterone).  Let us not leave out the thyroid hormones being skewered which contributes to miscalculated production.
• Because they come in “disguise”, they possess the ability to bind to a receptor within a cell and block the endogenous hormone from binding or docking.  Think of a parking garage you paid for a spot to park your car its YOURS, has YOUR name on it and you go to pull in and someone else has already parked their car there.  In the body when this happens the normal signal then fails to be triggered and the body fails to respond properly.  Examples of chemicals that block or antagonize hormones are referred to as anti-estrogen and anti-androgens.
• These clever little blokes can interfere or block the way natural hormones, or their receptors are made or controlled, for example, by altering their metabolism in the liver. (Sciences, 2016)

WHERE ARE WE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ENCOUNTER THESE  BAD BOYS?

Some of you are going to be doing a massive “eye-rolling” session here because you are going too, I hope, realize just how easily we are subjected to these and our kiddo’s too.  This is not exhaustive by any means.  Let me state that we all live on the same spinning rock, and I realize plastics are in our world to stay, and sadly many of these others I am going to talk about.  But all any of us can do is the best we are able when it comes to removing these out of our daily lifestyle and our homes.

Brace yourselves because I am going in HOT!

1. Diethylstilbestrol (synthetic estrogen DES), dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s), DDT (Yes this is still an issue because it does not just disappear out of the ground soil it was sprayed on.  It baffles me when one does the research here that they state it can dissipate within 2-15 yrs. (Sourcewatch.org, December 25 2019)  Claims to have been banned from use in the United States back in 1972.  However, there are folks who are now making it themselves, DDT was used and useful for mosquitoes and fighting malaria.  It is still in full use in South America, Africa and Asia for this purpose.  Farmers used DDT on a variety of food crops in the US and worldwide. The reason it was so widely used was its effective, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and last a long time in the environment. (Findanyanswer.com, February, 2020)
2. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.  The NTP Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction completed a review of BPA in September 2008.  The NTP expressed back then some serious concerns for effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland development in fetuses, infants and children with regards to human exposure to Bisphenol-A.
3. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a high production volume chemical that is used in the manufacturing of a variety of consumer food packaging, it is also in some children’s products and some polyvinyl chloride (PVC) medical devices. 

Here is the meat and potatoes of this whole concept and the reach it has…. The impact that these hormonal disruptors have seem to also be in their ability to reach ahead to subsequent generations which is opening the door for these disorders to start manifesting in infants and children.  Environmental chemicals have significant impacts on biological systems.  Meaning chemical exposures during early stages of development can disrupt normal patterns of development and thus dramatically can alter disease susceptibility later in life.  Endocrine disrupting chemicals interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic and immune effects in humans.” (Blumberg, 2011)

How can we not stop and consider the global impact of EDC’s (endocrine disrupting chemicals) and the overall footprint?  Truth…. We cannot! The connection to the treat of persistent hormone-disrupting pesticides to the survival of humans and animals lies not so much in their overt toxicity, nor in their carcinogenicity but to disruptive, permanent changes that occur in the womb and during periods of growth in in the presence of minute quantities of these man-made compounds.

WHAT DOES THIS SHOW UP AS?

 Lets look at the infertility ratio today, lowered sperm counts, rising rates of reproductive abnormalities, declining intelligence, behavior problems and even reduced ability to deal with stress can all be laid at the door of exposure to levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in utero, infancy and our childhood.  Levels that may have no effect at all on adults, yet after these chemicals build up in the fatty tissues of future mothers, and are excreted even in their breast milk, it is our children who pay the price for our exposure and indiscriminate use of them. 

How many of us use cleaning chemicals, pesticides, fungicides and plastics? (Fallon, 2002)

 THE MAJOR ENDOCRINE SYSTEM & SUMMARY OF FUNCTION?

GLANDS AND HORMONES	GENERAL FUNCTIONS
HYPOTHALAMUS CRF, GnRH, TRH, PIF, GRF, Somatostatin	Controls secretions of the pituitary gland, body temperature, hunger, thirst and sexual drive. Stimulates the pineal gland to secrete melatonin, which orchestrates body rhythms
PINEAL GLAND MELATONIN	Regulates circadian and ultradian rhythms Often referred to as the body’s biological clock
PITUITARY GLAND ACTH, TSH, Prolactin, Growth hormone, FSH, LH, Vasopressin, Oxytoxin	Controls bone growth and regulates the other glands Often referred to as the Master Gland
THYROID GLAND T4, T3, Calcitonin	Maintains proper metabolic rate in tissues, controlling the rate of fuel use in the body, it is sensitivity to heat and cold Supports immune function Protects us from bone loss during pregnancy
PARATHYROID GLANDS PTH	Helps regulates the amount of calcium in the blood Stimulates bone building
THYMUS Thymosin	Coordinates white blood cells (especially T cells) and the immune system Destroys viruses, fungi, some bacteria, and cancer cells Shrinks with age
PANCREAS Insulin, Glucagon	Controls blood sugar levels Helps to digest food (non-hormonal function)
OVARIES Estrogen/Progesterone	Controls sexual development, maturation and release of eggs, fertility Estrogen: causes multiplication of breast cells, thickens uterus and uterine lining maintains vaginal thickness and lubrication, encourages formation of collagen in skin Inhibits breakdown of bone, increasing density   Progesterone: Prepares uterus for implantation Maintains development of the placenta Develops milk-secreting cells during pregnancy Causes maturation of breast cells during pregnancy Helps prevent breast cysts and cancer Increases libido
ADRENAL GLANDS Cortisol, Aldosterone, DHEA, Testosterone, Adrenaline, Noradrenaline	Control salt and water balance in the body Helps us to adapt to stress Generates fight or flight reactions in response to life-threatening situation or unexpected emotional stress Decreases allergies Regulates sleep and mood Increase resistance to viruses, bacteria, fungi, allergies, cancer Stimulates bone formation Prevents osteoporosis, arthritis Lupus, autoimmune disease Helps to maintain normal sex hormone levels Increases libido, sexual arousal

(Sat Dharam Kaur, Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health n.d.)

(Sciences L. , 2013)

HOW WE CHOOSE TO LIFE OUR LIVES AND THE EFFECT IT HAS ON OUR ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS HEALTH

According to Dr. Norman W. Walker D.Sc. in his book (Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices), “The human body could not function were it not for the Endocrine Gland system.  The glands in our body are the activating mechanisms responsible for and involved in every function and procedure taking place within our system.  There are glands of internal secretion and glands of external secretion. These glands all manufacture in micro-microscopic quantities a substance known as hormones. (Dr. Norman W. Walker D.Sc)

Hormones are a product that is generated and elaborated in the glands and discharged into the blood or lymph, in most cases, while in some instances their action is somewhat like making an electrical contact in one place to start, stop or to modify an action in a separate and perhaps remote place.  In other words, every gland that produces its specific hormone means it has a specific route and destination it has built into its travel itinerary. It has a “here’s your coat what’s your hurry mission it was designed to perform.”

Endocrine MEANS that the manufacture of hormones takes place within the gland.  These glands have no ducts for it to discharge from. The discharge takes place by osmotic transmission from within the gland through its covering and is collected by the blood or the lymph from outside the gland.

The volume of hormones secreted at any one time is so infinitely small, that in order to obtain one-quarter of an ounce of the pineal gland hormone extract, for example, it would be necessary to collect hormones from more than 20,000,000 individual glands! (Dr. Norman W. Walker D.Sc)

WHERE ARE THESE GLANDS LOCATED AND WHAT’S THEIR FUNCTION?

HYPOTHALAMUS:   is a main link between the endocrine system and the nervous system.  It is in the lower central part of the brain with a specialized collection of cells.  The nerve cells of the hypothalamus control the pituitary gland by stimulating or suppressing the hormone secretions.  It is responsible for controlling hunger and thirst. (Pitchford)

This is where many people like to close off their hearing on what I am about to say next.  How our emotions and personality is connected.  “The way you eat is an expression of who you are, regardless of the quality of the food.  The enjoyment of good food and company creates such an inner joy that it is possible to taste the sweetest of nectar in even the simplest of foods.  Without this joy, and with no blessing offered, the most wholesome, delicious food can seem tasteless and leave the soul hungry.  People who eat only for the taste or according to a diet or nutritional value often develop cravings for something they are not getting.  This is where over-eating can be an issue and can contribute to premature aging.  Fifty years of research has shown that when a nourishing diet is eaten sparingly, aging is retarded.  In fact, consumption of too much rich and denatured food is responsible for most of our civilized diseases, like obesity, cancers and diabetes.  Overeating by vegetarians also happens on a regular basis too, and while it may not always result in weight gain, it invariably causes weakness, digestive upset and accelerated aging too.  I see this all the time in my practice.

On an emotional level, overeating results from excessive and undifferentiated desire, which also leads one to choose an unnecessarily great variety of foods.  Each food has a unique flavor which the appetite control center of the “hypothalamus” recognizes.  Before it feels satisfied, the “hypothalamus” seeks a certain amount of every flavor it has sampled.  Thus, it is difficult not to overeat a meal of many ingredients. (Pitchford) 

When we talk about refined foods which offer little if any nutritional value, we wonder why those are also easy to over consume.  When the body triggers hunger, it is lacking “nutrients” and we offer it nutrient void food choices, which truthfully usually do not make us feel full anyway.  A scientific study reported by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service (March 1, 1990), offered an explanation that one is biologically conditioned over the years to consume whole foods; excessive eating may represent an instinctive craving( built in by God’s design) to obtain nutrients that are lost during refining.  Common foods depleted in nutrients include “white” refined sugar, pastas, bread, pastries and rice, refined oils and reduced fat dairy. Side note, unless I am missing something but none of the foods offered by nature, I am referring to the plant family here…. Have ever been “WHITE” in color. No fruit, no vegetable, no plant; nip, nada, zip.

Meat is another one that is over consumed.  For the record I am NOT a vegetarian, or a vegan.  I do eat meat and fish; I just do not eat them in large amounts and the only pork I ever get a hankering for occasionally, is bacon.  However, we seem as a society to be drawn to meat with most meals in some form with strong flavors which is why food manufacturers love to add flavor enhancers, a popular one is MSG (monosodium glutamate) which actually encourages us to crave that flavor again.   Yet this type of eating inflames the lining of the stomach.  According to Chinese medicine, excess heat in the stomach is itself a cause of overeating, but even when this heat overeating cycle is broken, one still must change underlying habits, which may have become imbedded in the body’s cells and organs over many years.” (Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods, Asian Traditiona dn Modern Nutrition Third Edition)

 Pineal Gland:  is in the center of the brain.  This gland has been much of a mystery to Western medicine for many decades.  But according to Dr. Bernard Jensen, Ph.D. in “The Chemistry of Man”, “More recent research, shows that the pineal gland plays an active role in health and wellness at the mental and physical levels.”

Scientists theorize, it is a light-sensitive organ which requires stimulation from electromagnetic impulses from the optic nerves.  Sunlight enters the eye and triggers retinal nerve impulses which travel to the pineal gland.  From there, the resulting nerve impulses from the pineal gland are fed to the hypothalamus and pituitary, which control, mediate or affect many of the vital functions of the body.  Additionally, only the pineal gland makes melatonin from serotonin, a process which operates strictly according to day-night cycles.  Melatonin formation is stopped by light and proceeds in darkness.  So, we find the pineal gland, because of its sensitivity to light, has a profound effect on the biorhythms of the body.  It is a kind of biological clock that affects the timing of certain physiological functions.

Melatonin works together with tryptophan in the brain to regulate the sleep/wake cycle.  We find that alpha is the healing state of the conscious, awakened mind, while sleep interspersed with vivid dreams is known to be a wonderful restorative.  The pineal gland, in other words, may be called the “peace gland” because of its biochemical role in rest, relaxation and healing.

Dr. Walker wrote in his book “Become Younger” that the pineal gland is more actively engaged in the business of our “higher” or spiritual self.  It is involved, usually in cooperation with the pituitary gland in the activities of the brain, such as memory, judgment, reason, contemplation, reflection, love, adoration, pure worship, etc.  These activities work along lines of vibrations which are set in motion by the pineal gland, much like the vibrations of the loudspeaker in your radio only several million times faster.

PITUITARY GLAND:   is the most important part in the endocrine system.  Labeled often as the “Master Gland” it is located at the base of the brain just below the hypothalamus.

The pituitary governs the equilibrium or balance of the entire glandular system of the body. The front part of this gland is concerned with the growth of the body and in the reproductive functions.  The hormone which this gland generates serves to stimulate the sex glands.

The posterior, or rear part is involved in the contraction of the muscles, in the pressure of the blood circulating system, and in the color pigment of the skin.  It also exerts a controlling influence on the function of the kidneys, regulating the passage of water through them.

The intermediate, or middle part of this gland, on the other hand exerts a restraining influence on the function of the kidneys.  Thus, we see both functions of the same organ or gland, regulated by different parts of another gland.  It is easy to see how the dysfunction of the pituitary gland would cause either an excess or a deficit in the flow of urine.

We have found the starch molecule in grain and flour foods may be blamed for many pituitary disturbances, disrupting the function of the kidneys.  Particularly in the case of bedwetting by children.  When they were taken entirely off cereals, bread and other starchy foods, and given fresh raw vegetable juices instead of milk, this habit of bed wetting soon ceased. This is not a coincidence, as the difficulty which so many elderly people have in controlling urination may usually also be traced to their copious intake of starchy foods.

Proper nutrition and hygiene for all the cells in our body will enable all the glands to function at their best without the need of synthetic vitamins and hormones.” (Dr. Norman W. Walker D.Sc)

THYROID: is in the lower front part of the neck and is shaped like a butterfly. It produces the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

This gland is one that most peeps are familiar with, and we are seeing more and more people struggling with “hypo or hyper” performing thyroid glands.  Our diets are so void of adequate amounts of iodine that the proper function of this important gland is evident in many, as well as chemical toxins that inhibit this gland from being able to uptake proper amounts of iodine.

The thyroid has a strong controlling influence on all chemical processes which are carried on in the body.  One of the substances which is created by this gland is the hormone known as thyroxine.  This is the simplified name compounded from the chemicals composing it, namely, trihydro-triiodo-oxyindol-propionic acid.  Among the elements or ingredients which the thyroid uses to make this hormone is a protein known as casein.  The body manufactures its own casein out of the atoms present in our food, in the same manner that the cow generates the casein in her milk from her feed.  Casein is one of the important components of milk, but when cow’s milk is used by humans of any age, it is not digested properly or completely.  This is the reason why the use of milk not only creates a great amount of mucus in the body, but also has the tendency to disrupt the function of the thyroid gland.  The casein in cow’s milk is 300% more concentrated than that in mother’s milk.  When cows milk is pasteurized or cooked by boiling, the casein is changed still worse than in its raw state.

Unless the thyroid can generate efficiently the thyroxine hormones, many disturbances may result.  Among these is the wasting of body tissues, irritability of the nerves, damage to teeth and muscles, affliction of the sex organs, thickening and coarsening of the skin, dry and unsightly hair, to name but a few.  These conditions are all regulated by the thyroid and its thyroxine hormones.

There are two malfunctions that can occur with the thyroid gland; one is when it becomes overactive also known as hyperthyroidism. Phyllis A. Balch, CNC in Prescription for Nutritional Healing describes this disorder; “when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, resulting in an overactive metabolic state.  All the body’s processes speed up with this disorder. Symptoms include:

1. Nervousness
2. Irritability
3. A constant feeling of being hot
4. Increased perspiration
5. Insomnia
6. Fatigue
7. Increased frequency of bowel movements
8. Less frequent menstruation and decreased menstrual flow
9. Weakness
10. Thinning hair
11. Weight-loss
12. Change in skin thickness
13. Separation of the nails from nail bed
14. Hand tremors
15. Intolerance of heat
16. Rapid heartbeat
17. Goiter
18. Occasionally protruding eyes

The thyroid is the body’s internal thermostat.  It regulates the temperature by secreting two hormones that control how quickly the body burns calories and uses energy.  If the thyroid secretes too much hormone, hyperthyroidism results: too little results in hypothyroidism.” (Balch)

PARATHYROID GLAND:

There are four parathyroid glands that are attached to each side of the thyroid.  Their function is to regulate the blood calcium levels and regulate calcitonin which is produced in the thyroid gland.  They also influence the lymph system in neutralizing certain types of toxins in the body.  They are responsive to the negative emotions, like worry, anxiety, fear, anger, hatred, jealousy and so on, under which circumstances they excite or stimulate secretions from the adrenal glands.  Adrenalin is highly poisonous and affects the whole system when secreted in excess for extended periods of time.

The principle function of the parathyroid glands, however, is the regulation of calcium metabolism, the calcium content of the blood, in tooth and bone formation and the residual calcium in the tissues.  It is important to realize that these glands do NOT have the SELECTIVE ability to choose between organic and inorganic calcium. That is to say that they will take whatever calcium atoms or molecules come along, irrespective of whether they are dead, or vital, live elements.  If our Creator had given them this ability to choose the live and reject the cooked or processed elements, we would have no arthritic victims, we would have marvelous teeth all our lives and no one would have any deformed bones, so long as we ate sufficient raw nourishment.

As it is, the calcium from pasteurized milk and cooked milk products, as well as that from grain and starch foods has become inorganic through the process of heating.  Under these circumstances no matter how much calcium we take into our system by eating these foods or taking calcium in tablet or similar form, the body cannot utilize it constructively without eventual damage to the calcium bearing parts of our system.  We have the proof of this in the swollen calcified joints in arthritis, in the degeneration of the teeth and bone, in impactions in our blood vessels as in tumors, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, high and low blood pressure and of course all the signs of premature old age.

It is necessary to furnish the body with the nourishment rich in organic or vital, live calcium elements which the parathyroid glands can work with to our best advantage.  These elements are found only in the raw vegetables and fruits and their fresh raw juices.  Among the richest calcium foods, we have:

• Carrots
• Turnips
• Spinach
• Dandelion

(Dr. Norman W. Walker D.Sc)

THYMUS GLAND: is composed of two identical lobes and is located anatomically in the anterior superior mediastinum, in front of the heart and behind the sternum.  Histologically, each lobe of the thymus can be divided into a central medulla and a peripheral cortex which is surrounded by an outer capsule.

This glands function can change during our different stages of growth and age.  In babyhood, up to the age of about 18 months, it breaks down the casein and other elements in the mother’s milk, enabling the body to assimilate and utilize the milk or its equivalent.  After about 18 months of such work it undergoes functional changes of a remarkable nature.  Until puberty and the beginning of adolescence the thymus gland is involved in the development of the sex glands.  With the advent of adolescence, it becomes an important factor in the higher and broader expansion of the individual’s character and emotions.  If the activity of the thymus in the development of the sex glands has not abated at this time, the individual keeps growing until he is taller than average.  On the other hand, if the se glands develop too soon, and the thymus is diverted too rapidly to the next change in its activity, the individual ceases to grow and remains below average height.

Many want to simply focus on the physiological aspects from a medical perspective when we address our health and the organs that are within.  But it triggers my inner belief system when I run across conflicting perspectives that address the physiological function from a spiritual/emotional advent as Dr. Walker does and I quote his theory below:

“With the advent of adolescence, the thymus acts as a balance between the higher and lower instincts.  It is then controlled by the will, the mind and by the desires of the individual, until maturity is reached.  This period is the most critical in everybody’s life.  It depends on the extent and severity of the discipline applied to the individual.  It is the foundation upon which the future integrity and honesty of the individual is based.  If he is allowed to go about his way of life, unbridled, undisciplined and uncontrolled, the thymus gland will become flabby in texture and in years to come he will find himself on the lower, if not the lowest plane of consciousness.

At this period in life the thymus works in close relation with the pineal gland, the spiritual gland.  When discipline is slack or lacking, we find youngsters gravitating toward delinquency even crime. To develop character, integrity and honesty of future generations, parents must come to realize that children of all ages NEED affection and understanding, as well the right kind of nourishment.  The development of these two incredibly important character-building glands, the thymus and the pineal, rest entirely in the hands of parents.  When children and adolescents grow into dependable and honorable citizens even though they were allowed to grow up without guidance, they have done so in spite of lack of discipline and guidance and because of an inherent higher intelligence than that of their parents.”

(Walker)

PANCREAS:  is located toward the back of the abdomen behind the stomach.  This gland is the most active in our digestive system. It produces substances in the form of digestive juices of several different kinds at one and the same time, each to process the various elements contained in the food we eat.  When we eat raw vegetables and fruits, the functions of the pancreas are at their best.  They have virtually no splitting of molecules to do, merely assisting the atoms and molecules to separate so they can be readily collected by the blood and lymph streams and quickly utilized by the glands, cells and tissues throughout the body.

When we eat starches, sugar and meat foods, the pancreas must do more than its normal workload.  Starches cannot be digested as such but must be converted into primary or chemical sugars.  The pancreas must not only furnish the digestive juices for these sugars but must also help to do the needed work of conversion or breaking down the starches.  The extra work is what eventually may develop into diabetes.

When we eat meat, fish or fowl, we cannot use either the concentrated protein or the amino acids that compose it as such.  They must all be reduced to the atoms composing them so that the body may reorganize these atoms to build its own amino acids and proteins.  The pancreas does most of this conversion work, furnishing the digestive juices for this purpose.  As this involves considerable work, it not only overworks the pancreas, but it also generates large quantities of uric acid in the system.

  Many of my patients get confused when I work with them as to why I suggest supporting their ability to break down proteins and fats with the aid of specific digestive enzymes, because they have been taught to focus on simply reducing their intake of sugary foods, and starches.  Which is when they shift towards a diet higher in protein consumption and wonder why their still struggle to balance their blood sugar levels.

Fats contained in the food we eat, must be converted into glycerin and the pancreas also furnishes the digestives juices for this purpose.  Since the pancreas has so much work to do for us under even the most favorable circumstances, it is obvious that to overwork it just because we choose to eat food and drink beverages that do actual harm, does not make sense.  On the contrary, we should consider this angle of our appetites and desires seriously and with common sense.

ADRENAL GLANDS: sit on top of both of our kidneys like protective hats.  They are made up of two parts. The outer part is called the adrenal cortex and the inner part is called the medulla.  The outer part the cortex produces hormones called corticosteroids which regulate the body’s metabolism, the balance of salt and water in the body, the immune system and sexual function.  The inner part, the medulla produces hormones called catecholamine’s such as adrenaline.

These glands release hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress and influence cardiovascular function directly and blood glucose levels indirectly.  The hypothalamus controls the secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine by the adrenal medulla via a direct nerve pathway.  These fibers pass down the spinal cord and connect synapse with preganglionic neurons whose fibers lead to the adrenal medulla. (Howard F. Loomis Jr. D.C.)

When the adrenal glands are healthy and are working efficiently, they inject into the blood just enough adrenalin for constructive purposes.  Under such circumstances, adrenalin raises the blood pressure, while at the same time it has the opposite effect on the intestines, it relaxes them.  It contracts the capillaries of the blood stream, while at the same time it dilates the bronchial tubes. It has such a powerful influence on the heart that, in an emergency, it has been injected directly into the heart of people who have died, within 3 or 4 minutes after the heart had stopped beating, and they were brought back to life.

Adrenaline also dilates the pupils of the eyes and it helps to control the pigment of the skin. Taking all these functions into consideration, and relating one to the other, we can see the chain of events manifesting when we succumb to negative emotions, anger, worry, fear, jealousy, fright are all too plainly visible in the dilation of the pupil of the eyes, the change in the color of the skim the rise in blood pressure, to  say nothing of the frustration and exhaustion which usually follows.

On the positive side, (yes there is always one of those sides), the adrenals can be, and are, extremely helpful in a great many circumstances. For example, people who have been faced with seeming disaster have been able to perform acts of heroism or self-preservation that seemed impossible or superhuman.  This was due to the courage instilled into the individual by virtue of the constructive functions of the adrenals.

GONADS (SEX GLANDS): men and women have uniquely different reproductive glands.  Located in the lower abdominal region.  Men have testes located in the scrotum, which secrete hormones called androgen which the prominent one being testosterone.  These male produced hormones set the male characteristic such as lower voice, the ability to build larger stronger muscles, sperm production and facial hair.

A woman’s reproductive system is comprised of a uterus and ovaries.  the predominate hormonal production for a woman is estrogen and progesterone.  These hormones control the development of female characteristics such as breast development as well as reproductive functions of menstruation and growth and development of carrying a baby.

In both men and women, the gonads function in close participation with the pineal, the pituitary, the thyroid and the adrenal glands.  All these glands are involved in the production of the sex hormones.  By the control of the mind and of the emotions these glands are automatically trained to control sex thoughts and impulses in adolescence through maturity.  It is only by training the mind and the emotions through self-discipline that we can develop a thorough understanding and a greater appreciation of the purpose for which we were endowed with these glands.

The hormones that are produced by the endocrine glands are molecules, each hormone has a specific function in the body in order to maintain homeostasis. (William J. Rea, n.d.)

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO HORMONE IMBALANCE?

The very nature of the hormonal system that occurs within the endocrine system can be disrupted in many ways.  Being exposed to extended periods of emotional upset, stress, aging, all play their part.  As we naturally age, hormone levels will decline in production.  However, if they decline too fast, this can trigger early menopause and contribute to other hormone imbalances associated with this transition.  Lifestyle habits can prove to be a heavy hitter in setting the pace for hormonal decline and aging prematurely.

Nutrition, exercise, detoxification capabilities, being over-weight and living a high stressed life, all play their part in the symphony of hormone balance.  So, if you are rolling into mid-life overstressed, adrenal glands must take over much of the hormone production that was being handled by the ovaries (same applies to ladies who have undergone a hysterectomy).  Dealing with extended chronic stress causes the body to be flooded with excess amounts of cortisol and the hormone production in the endocrine system becomes disrupted.  The body will then begin to use progesterone to make even more cortisol in response to the chronic stress.  Progesterone helps keep estrogen in balance, so if there is a depletion in progesterone it allows a woman’s body to begin to be estrogen dominant.

When our cortisol levels have been on over-load it causes muscle wasting, memory issues, sleep cycle disturbances and deteriorates our bones because out blood calcium levels will be off, our energy levels tank, it can lower sexual drive, and weaken our immune system; this is why we see many women struggling through almost debilitating menopausal cycles.  A normal changing of seasons that should delicately flow from one to the other ends up needing a medical diagnosis. (Sat Dharam Kaur)

WHAT BRINGS ON HORMONAL IMBALANCES?

• STRESS OVERLOAD
• HECTIC LIFESTYLE SCHEDULE/LACK OF DOWNTIME AND SLEEP
• SHALLOW BREATHING
• DIET THAT IS HIGH IN SATURATED OR HYDROGENATED FATS, SUGAR, REFINED CARBOHYDRATES, MEATS, DAIRY
• NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCES IN VITAMINS AND MINERALS; VITAMINS B5, B6, ZINC, SELENIUM, MAGNESIUM, TRYPTOPHAN, ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
• IMBALANCE IN INTESTINAL FLORA
• YEAST OVERLOAD
• TOXIC LIVER
• SMOKING
• EXCESS ALCOHOL
• EXPOSURE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC CHEMICALS, INCLUDING PCB’s DIOXIN, PESTICIDES, PHTHALATES, BISPHENOL A, PVD, FIRE RETARDANTS, PARABENS IN COSMETICS
• EXPOSED TO HORMONE DISRUTPTION CHEMICALS OR HORMONE EXCESS IN UTERO
• BIRTH CONTROL PRESCRIPTIONS, HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
• HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE (I.E. LEAD, MERCURY, CADMIUM)
• SEDIMENTARY LIFESTYLE
• INSOMNIA
• OBESITY
• NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS
• HAVING LIGHTS ON AT NIGHT

WHAT ARE ESTROGEN IMPOSTERS?

 There are foreign or false estrogens that are man-made imposters that will mimic the effects of the real estrogen but will over stimulate cellular activity to an uncontrollable extent. These false estrogens are referred to as “xenoestrogens”.  These accumulate in the fat tissues of our bodies and have the capability of locking into our own estrogen’s receptor sites.  They are highly toxic and detrimental to our hormonal environment.  These man-made toxins or estrogen imposters are present in our soil, water, air, food supply and personal care products and products we clean our homes with air fresheners and most commercial candles.

PLACES TO START EXPLORING IN YOUR OWN HOME….

1. PANTRY
2. REFRIGERATOR
3. FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS AND COOKWARE
4. KITCHEN SINK (I.E. UNFILTERED MUNICIPLE WATER)
5. BATHROOM CABINET
6. SHOWER
7. BABYS ROOM
8. LAUNDRY ROOM
9. BACKYARD

Folks one of the most effective ways to absorb Xenoestrogens is via the skin.  Lotions, creams, makeup, nail polish, deodorants and other personal care products. Look for products that contain parabens, phthalates, nonoxynol-9 spermicide as your birth control method, nonoxynol-9 breaks down in the body into xenoestrogenic nonpolyphenols.

Cooking with aluminum cookware disrupts the thyroid function and leaches aluminum into the foods especially acidic foods like red sauces.  The plastic containers we store our foods in, or the Styrofoam containers which contain BPA any food or liquid that is hot will leach the BPA out into the food or drink. Microwaving foods in plastics or wrapped in plastic wrap is no Bueno folks.

A key point to realize is that children are most sensitive to Xenoestrogens and other endocrine disruptors; sadly, any room belonging to children may be filled with these disruptors.  Baby bottles can be made of rigid No. 7 plastic that contains Bisphenol-A; flexible bottle liners should be made from No. 4 LDPE plastic.  The plastic toys we allow our kids to teeth on can contain phthalates unless the manufacturer of the item lists on the packaging that it is free from phthalates.  Consider buying wooden, fabric toys. 

How many of you use dryer sheets? They are loaded with xenoestrogens that permeate clothing and come into direct, prolonged contact with the skin.  Same goes for laundry detergent.  But only the chemical free varieties.  Skip the dry sheets altogether and use natural liquid fabric softener in the rinse cycle.  Or try adding ½ cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle for softer laundry.

HOW DO WE FIGHT BACK WHEN WE CAN’T CHANGE THE WORLD, WE NOW LIVE IN?

No matter how diligent you are you are still going to encounter these issues in the world we live and work in.  Meanwhile, you have certainly been exposed to these endocrine disruptors guaranteed! The task, then, is to protect the body from their harmful effects.  Certain foods and herbs can shield estrogen receptor sites so the xenoestrogens cannot attach and help the body metabolize and excrete harmful estrogen while protecting the body from their damage, says Jillian Michaels, a trainer for The Biggest Loser and author of Master Your Metabolism.

Some key foods to make sure you include daily:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Brussels sprouts

These foods fall in the crucifers category and are rich in indole-3 carbinol (I3C), which the body converts to diindolylmethane (DIM) the DIM induces certain enzymes in the liver to block the production of the toxic estrogens and step up the production of the beneficial forms.  The best way to eat them is lightly steamed to protect I3c levels or, better yet, pickled: some studies have attributed the low rates of breast cancer in Polish women to their high daily consumption of sauerkraut.  Crucifers are also high in sulforaphane, a powerful breast-cancer inhibitor.  Best protection: add steamed broccoli to salads; roast cauliflower and brussels sprouts in avocado oil; try sauerkraut or kimchee, a spicy fermented cabbage.  Supplements of I3C are available at health food stores; a typical dosage is 150-300 mg. per day.

Flax is the richest source of secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG), a compound that the body converts into lignans.  Lignans are phytoestrogens and help balance the body’s estrogens levels by binding to the same estrogen receptor sites that Xenoestrogens do.  When a receptor site is already occupied by a phytoestrogen, Xenoestrogens cannot attach to it.  However, phytoestrogens may not stimulate the receptor causing a lower estrogenic effect.  Lignans appear to be especially protective against breast cancer.  One study found that women with the highest amount of dietary lignans had a 17 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer.  Best protection: sprinkle ground flaxseeds over yogurt, add them to smoothies, stir them into cooked whole grains.

Lentils are high in soluble fiber, which works as an estrogen disposal system. Estrogen and xenoestrogens are normally pulled from the blood stream by the liver and moved to the intestines.  In the intestines, fiber soaks up estrogen like a sponge and removes it from the body with other waste.  Other foods high in soluble fiber include apples, barley, beans, psyllium and oat bran.  Best protections: eat lentils with curry, sprinkle oat bran over cereal, serve barley with cooked beans.

Pomegranate can help block estrogenic activity by as much as 80% and help prevent several types of breast cancer cells from multiplying; another study found similar effects on prostate cancer cells.  Best protection is to add pomegranate juice to green tea, scatter pomegranate seeds over salads, or add them to yogurt.  Soy contains phytoestrogens called isoflavones, compounds that mimic estrogen, but in a much weaker form.  These weaker forms block the receptor sites so xenoestrogens cannot attach.  They do not accumulate in the body and they are metabolized quicker.

I want to note that soy is what falls into a double-edged sword category.  Some studies have suggested that high concentrations of soy isoflavone’s contribute to certain types of breast cancer.

In addition, soy isoflavones can disrupt normal thyroid hormone function.  Eat soy ion moderation, avoid concentrated soy products, like protein powders, bars, and soy milk and check with your doctor about soy consumption if you are at high risk for prostate, breast or uterine cancer.  (Turner, May 2009)

KEY NUTRIENTS FOR SAFE HORMONE BALANCE

Excerpt from Sexy Hormones, by Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, MS

Every woman from the age of menstruation until death should be taking the following nutrients every day to protect her cervix, breasts ovaries and uterus, and for menstruating women, to make periods effortless.

• D-glucarate
• Green tea extract
• Curcumin
• Milk thistle
• Sulforaphane (found in broccoli, Brussel sprouts and cabbage)
• Chaste tree berry
• Evenings primrose or borage oil
• Indole-3 carbinol (discussed above) these do not contain any estrogenic compounds

D-Glucarate: is found in all fruits and vegetables, with the highest concentrations found in apples, grapefruit, and broccoli.  It is a very important nutrient that helps detoxify excess estrogens and protects from the toxic estrogens made by the liver.  This nutrient is especially important if you are taking hormones of any type.  Recommended dosage: 150-300 mg. per day.

Green Tea extract: is a powerful antioxidant containing polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids, which have been shown to be protective against estrogen dominate conditions and related cancers, especially breast and ovarian.  Green tea extract helps eliminate xenoestrogens and supports the liver in metabolizing fats and hormones.  Recommended dosage: 100-200 mg. per day (look for products with 60 percent polyphenols) or drink green tea throughout the day.  Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric, one of the chief ingredients in curry.

Curcumin: is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and it also helps eliminate cancer causing estrogens and environmental estrogens via the liver.  Curcumin increases detoxification.  Recommended dosage: 50-100 mg. per day.  Use the spice turmeric in cooking too.

Milk Thistle: called the protector of the liver, is extremely important for proper estrogen balance in the cells of the body.  It detoxifies a wide range of hormones, drugs, and toxins, among other things.  Recommended dosage: 50-100 mg per day (ensure that your milk thistle contains at least 80 percent silymarin, an active ingredient in the herb).

Sulforaphane: from broccoli sprout extract has been shown to stimulate the body’s production of detoxification enzymes that eliminate toxic estrogens and balance estrogens in the body.  Recommended dosage: 200-400 mcg. Per day.

Vitex (Chaste tree berry): also called the progesterone enhancing herb, contains no hormones, has no direct hormonal activity, and is not Phyto estrogenic.  Its main active ingredients work on the pituitary gland to stimulate the production of luteinizing hormone, which in turn increases progesterone and helps regulate the menstrual cycle.  It is recommended for irregular or heavy periods, cramps, polycystic ovary syndrome, PMMS, breast tenderness, bloating, depression and mood swings, reduction of ovarian cysts, acne related to hormonal imbalance, infertility, endometriosis and many other female related symptoms.  Recommended dosage: 2-4 capsules per day with food.

Evening primrose, borage and black current seed oil are classified as “good” omega-6 oils and have been shown in clinical studies to be breast-cancer protective.  GLA is known to ease cramps and breast pain, and reduce PMS, depression and bloating.  Recommended dosage: 4,000 mg of borage oil or 8,000 mg. of evening primrose oil, every day with food.” (Turner, May 2009)

RECOGNIZE WHERE THESE TOXINS ARE HIDING AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS, THEY BRING TO THE TABLE PHYSICALLY

• Exposure in Utero: when symptoms of progesterone deficiency are noted in puberty, one can link xenoestrogens in utero to be a factor 400,000 follicles are created in the embryo, each enclosing an immature ovum when a female embryo begins to develop in utero.
• Outward changes to the pregnant mother may not stand out when exposed to these toxic estrogen-like chemicals.  The fetus is therefore increasingly affected by these toxins that may damage its ovarian follicles.
• Petrochemicals: we find these in creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes, hair sprays and room fresheners.  These have estrogen like chemical structures and may have estrogen mimicking effects.  Other sources of xenoestrogens include care exhaust, petrochemically derived pesticides, herbicides and fungicides; solvents and adhesives like nail polish, paint removers, glues, dry cleaning chemicals, all plastics, industrial waste (i.e. PCBs and dioxins). Synthetic estrogens from the urine of women that are taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and birth control prescriptions are flushed down the toilet and eventually find their way into the food chain and back into the body.  They are fat soluble and non-biodegradable. (nd., n.d.)
• Industrial solvents: solvents are a family of chemicals that are often overlooked as a source of xenoestrogens.  These enter the body through the skin and accumulate in the lipid rich tissues such as myelin (nerve sheath) and adipose (fat). Some common organic solvents include:  1. Methanol 2. Aldehydes 3. Ethylene glycol 4. Acetone

These are found in cosmetics, nail polish, and nail polish remover, glues, paints, varnishes, cleaning products, carpets, fiberboards and other processed woods.  Pesticides and herbicides like lawn and garden sprays and indoor insect sprays are also sources of small amounts of xenoestrogens.  The amount may be small in each, the cumulative effect after years of exposure through use of these products can lead to estrogen dominance. (nd., n.d.)

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): these are man made hormone chemicals that are different in structure to hormones that are produced in the human body.  This differing structure is processed in a lab in order to patent the medication and make an economic profit.  One of the better-known HRT prescriptions is Premarin and this has been the main choice of doctors when prescribing HRT.  Premarin contains 48% estrone and only a very small amount of progesterone which is insignificant to have enough of an opposing effect.  The excessive estrogen from HRT can lead to an increased risk of DNA damage and can result in endometrial and breast cancer. (John P. Cunha DO, n.d.)

• Commercial cattle and poultry: in 2010 farmers around the world used more than 63,000 tons of antibiotics to raise livestock.  By 2030, the researchers expect that number to rise to 105,000 tons ( (Kaufaman, 2015) These antibiotics in our food supply result in hormone disruptions as we eat them as meat.  The antibiotics serve a two-fold purpose, #1 it fattens up the animal faster, @2 it keeps the animals alive due to the deplorable living conditions.  The feed these animals are eating are a combination of pesticides, antibiotics and drugs used to combat disease.

• Fruits and vegetables containing pesticides: According to Dr. Michael Lam over the past 100 years, several billion pounds of pesticides have been released into the environment.  These pesticides are similar in structure to estrogen and therefore can disrupt our hormonal system.  Pesticides that have been previously banned make their way back to our food supply illegally.  Approximately 5 billion pounds of chemicals have been added to the world each year in the form of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other biocides.  It is estimated that the average person eats 75 pounds of illegal pesticides per year just by following the guidelines of eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day if purchasing them from non-organic sources.” (nd., n.d.)

• Doctor Peter Eckhart M.D. wrote an article talking about the connection between xenoestrogens and cystic breast issues.  Excerpts from his article follows: “Xenoestrogens may be the cause of breast cysts alternative medicine treatment for breast cysts believes that xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens are the cause.  If these are eliminated, then the breast cysts in most cases are completely gone and stay away permanently.  Topical progesterone cream may also be used.  So alternative medicine believes that breast cysts are provoked by xenoestrogens are found in everyday synthetic artificial chemicals and plants and herbs that mimic or pretend estrogen.  These synthetic chemicals were previously thought to be inert and are called xenoestrogens.  Xeno means “foreign.” Phytoestrogens are plant estrogens.  Xenoestrogens are thought to cause endometriosis, endometrial cancer, premenstrual syndrome, precious puberty (premature puberty), breast cancer, ovarian cancer, menstrual migraines and breast cysts.  The human body’s hormones communicate at levels of parts per trillion.  This is about the same concentration of you spitting into an Olympic sized pool.  Many of the chemicals that affect the hormone systems are routinely found in blood samples after sauna at parts per billion. (Far infrared sauna helps to free the chemicals from the body fat and then go into the blood.)  Simply, chemical hormone disrupters that affect the hormone systems of the human body are found at 100 to 1000 times greater concentration than that of the normal human hormones.  So, even if these xenoestrogens are “weak” they are in the body at 100 times more than the body’s hormones.  One scientist demonstrated that two “weak” estrogens act together synergistically to give a strong estrogen response.  It is not just an additive response; it may be a multiplicative response.  So not only do we have to test for individual xenoestrogens effect, but it may also be necessary to test for a combinatory effect. This becomes nearly impossible. 
• Some information below credit given to “Our Stolen Future” by Theo Colborn: Plastics with Bisphenol-A and nonlyphenol at Tufts Medical School in Boston in 1987, Soto and Sonnenschein researchers stumbled on the discovery.  Plastic test tubes (thought to be inert) contained embedded in the plastic, a chemical estrogen that made breast cancer cells to replicate and proliferate.  Soto and Sonnenschein experimented with malignant breast cancer cells sensitive to estrogen.  The breast cancer cells would replicate when exposed to estrogen.  The beast cancer cells without estrogen would stop multiplying.

During their experiments, the test tube manufacturer changed the plastic test tubes composition.  The manufacturer switched to P-nonlyphenol one of the family of synthetic chemicals called alkylphenols to make these plastics making the test tubes less breakable.  Manufacturers usually create their plastics with p-nonlyphenol with polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  The new plastic test tubes caused the estrogen sensitive breast cancer cells to grow.  This, Soto and Sonnenschein concluded that p-nonlyphenol pretended to be like an estrogen.

One scientist demonstrated that the food processing industry and packaging industry used PVC’s that contained nonylphenol.  Another reported contamination of water that had passed through PVC tubing.  Even compounds found in contraceptive creams nonoxynol-9 breaks down inside the animal’s body to produce nonylphenol.  Breakdown of chemicals such as those found in industrial detergents, pesticides, and personal care products give rise to nonylphenol.  Global production of alkyl phenols polyethoxylated was 600 million pounds in 1990.  Although the products purchased by the consumer are not themselves estrogenic; studies have found that bacteria in the animal’s bodies, in the environment, or in sewage treatment plants degrade these alkylphenol polyethoxylated, creating nonlyphenol and other xenoestrogens.

PLASTIC DRINKING RECEPTACLES AND PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINERS

In 1993, at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dave Feldman, professor of medicine ran an experiment with a yeast estrogen protein that sticks to estrogen. Feldman discovered that polycarbonate bottles used to drinking water contained Bisphenol-A (see the article here Canada bans polycarbonate drinking bottles because of BPS).   The polycarbonate lab flasks used to sterilize the water used in their experiments contained Bisphenol-A.  Bisphenol-A nicely bound to the estrogen protein found in the yeast.  The same polycarbonate plastic routinely used for the giant jugs used to ship water.

The manufacturer knew that the bottles would leach particularly when exposed to high temperatures and caustic cleaners.  The manufacturer designed a washing procedure that they thought would solve BPA leeching.  However, the Stanford researchers discovered that the manufacturer could not detect Bisphenol-A samples sent from their lab.  Those samples that were responsible for replication of estrogen responsive breast cancer cells.  Why?  There was a detection lower limit in the manufacturer’s lab equipment.  The Stanford research group discovered 2-5 parts per billion of Bisphenol-A was strong enough to help the breast cancer cells to replicate and multiply.

Professor Feldman has agreed that Bisphenol-A is two thousand times less strong than estrogen.  It still has activity in the parts per billion range.

Bisphenol-A is 2000 times less potent than estrogen, but still has activity in the parts per billion range.

One Dartmouth University Study showed that plastic wrap warmed in a microwave oven with vegetable oil had 500,000 times the minimum amount of chemical estrogens (xenoestrogens) required to make breast cancer cells to grow in a test tube.

DETERGENT BREAKDOWN CHEMICALS

John Sumpter, a biologist in Uxbridge, Brunel University, found male fish that looked like females as told by fisherman in English rivers.  Fish angled from the pools downstream from the discharge of sewage plants looked unusual.  Experienced fisherman could not tell if a fish was male or female.  The fish demonstrated both male and female characteristics simultaneously.  They were quintessential examples of hermaphrodite fish where an individual fish appears to be between both sexes.

Sumpter used a marker that could testify that a fish was female.  Normally, in females a special egg protein is created called vitellogenin.  Vitellogenin is reactive to estrogen from the ovaries.  Estrogen from the ovaries signals the liver to make vitellogenin.  The protein vitellogenin is put into the eggs.  Because this action is dependent on estrogen, vitellogenin levels found in male fish would be a good indicator of estrogen exposure.

Caged fish kept in captivity were then transferred to the contaminated pools.  These contaminated fish produced 1000 times to 100,000 times more vitellogenin than control trout kept in clean water.

15 sites were sampled that showed huge vitellogenin levels showing a national English problem.  Alkyl phenol levels from detergent breakdown products are highly suspect.  Yet, Sumpter believes that the synergistic action of several xenoestrogens acting together is causing the half male/half female fish.

In 2004, 42 percent of male bass living in the Potomac river near Washington DC are producing eggs.  Researchers believe hormone disrupting chemicals in the water are causing male bass to be female.

A similar study that found feminized male White Sucker fish below a sewage treatment plant swimming in the Colorado Platte River.  As of 2004, little is done to test for these chemicals, either in river water or in drinking water.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not set standards.  The EPA claims more research in needed to determine which contaminants are harmful and what levels are unsafe.

 This information should make us sit up and take notice and ask probing questions about the chemicals we use and the way our water systems are being contaminated and the direct cause and effect they are having on the health of our eco-system which carries a strong ripple effect over all!  It is BIG…

LET’S LOOK AT CANNED FOODS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS CERTAIN CANCERS

Two Spanish Scientists at the University of Granada studied the plastic coatings that are sprayed into metal cans.  The coating stops the taste of metal in the food from the cans.  85 percent of the cans have these plastic coatings.  Fatima Olea and Nicolas Olea an M.D. specializing in endocrine cancers worked with Soto and Sonnenschein.  In a study with twenty brands of canned foods purchased in the United States and in Spain, they discovered Bisphenol-A.  Bisphenol-A is the same chemical that the Stanford researchers found.  Bisphenol-A was in about half of the canned food up to levels of 80 parts per billion.  The concentration is 27 times greater concentration of Bisphenol-A needed to cause breast cancer cells to replicate according to the Stanford Study.

Alternative breast cysts treatment believes that these same chemicals that cause breast cancer to grow also cause breast cysts to grow.  Avoiding these chemicals is key to curing breast cysts.  Women struggling with Cystic breast tissue is at an all time high in the United States, we are starting to see it in younger females starting in late teen years.

LET’S LOOK AT COMMERCIALLY RAISED BEEF AND SHEEP

Cattle are farmed in the United States by using synthetic estrogens to fatten them up and make them to retain water.  This creates bigger profits for the rancher.  It is a cheap and fast method to fatten them up.  In the 1970’s and 1980’s there was a large population in Puerto Rico of early puberty in girls as young as a year old and even young boys that developed breasts caused by meat and dairy products containing high levels of estrogen.  In the United States, the use of estrogen compounds is now slightly better regulated, but it is still very much used and abused.  Now, federal regulations allow these hormones to be used on growing cattle and sheep, but not on poultry (chicken, turkeys ducks) or hogs (pigs).

DES (diethylstilbestrol), a type of synthetic estrogen, was the first hormone to be used by the meat industry to fatten up livestock until it was found that it causes cancer even in extremely minute amounts.  Birth defects such as misshapen uteri are common in women whose mothers were exposed to DES during pregnancy.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES), also known as stilbestrol or stilboestrol, is a nonsteroidal estrogen medication, which is rarely used.[5][6][7] In the past, it was widely used for a variety of indications, including pregnancy support for women with a history of recurrent miscarriage, hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and estrogen deficiency in women, treatment of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women, and other uses.[5] By 2007, it was only used in the treatment of prostate cancer and breast cancer.[8] In 2011, Hoover and colleagues reported on adverse health outcomes linked to DES including infertility, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, preterm birth, stillbirth, infant death, menopause prior to age 45, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and vaginal cancer.[9] In 2020 the GoodRx and Walgreens’ sites do not list diethylstilbestrol.[10][11] While most commonly taken by mouth, DES was available for use by other routes as well, for instance, vaginal, topical, and by injection.

DES is an estrogen, or an agonist of the estrogen receptors, the biological target of estrogens like estradiol.[7] It is a synthetic and nonsteroidal estrogen of the stilbestrol group, and differs from the natural estrogen estradiol in various ways.[7] Compared to estradiol, DES has greatly improved bioavailability when taken by mouth, is more resistant to metabolism, and shows relatively increased effects in certain parts of the body like the liver and uterus.[7] These differences result in DES having an increased risk of blood clots, cardiovascular issues, and certain other adverse effects.[7]

DES was discovered in 1938 and introduced for medical use in 1939.[12][13] From about 1940 to 1971, the medication was given to pregnant women in the incorrect belief that it would reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and losses.[12] In 1971, DES was shown to cause clear-cell carcinoma, a rare vaginal tumor, in girls and women who had been exposed to this medication in utero.[12][5] The United States Food and Drug Administration subsequently withdrew approval of DES as a treatment for pregnant women.[12][5] Follow-up studies have indicated that DES also has the potential to cause a variety of significant adverse medical complications during the lifetimes of those exposed.[12][14]

The United States National Cancer Institute recommends[15] women born to mothers who took DES to undergo special medical exams on a regular basis to screen for complications as a result of the medication. Individuals who were exposed to DES during their mothers’ pregnancies are commonly referred to as “DES daughters” and “DES sons”.[12][16] Since the discovery of the toxic effects of DES, it has largely been discontinued and is now mostly no longer marketed.[12][17]

Wikipedia

If you were born between 1940 to 1971 you should undergo special medical exams to screen for complications as a result of the medication most likely given to your mother’s during their pregnancies.

BIRTH CONTROL PRESCRIPTIONS

Birth control pills have a synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone to require the body to cycle in a normal manner even though conceptions may have occurred.  Some research pharmacist claim that birth control pills may act as an abortifacient.  Different hormone levels are supposed to occur.  Adding extra estrogen to a women’s body may exacerbate cystic breast issues, contribute to higher incident of blood clotting factors and elevated levels of blood pressure in some women.

 PRESERVATIVE PARABENS

 butyl paraben, propyl paraben, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben is found in skin lotions and gels.  For many years, parabens were one of those preservatives with low systemic toxicity factors.  Previously, it was thought that they only drawback to parabens were allergic reactions.  However, we now know that parabens pretend to be and mimic the female hormone estrogen.  Hormone disruption was never considered, only toxicity, carcinogenicity and allergenic reactions. Now, John Sumpter from the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at Brunel University in Uxbridge, Middlesex has found that alkyl hydroxy benzoate preservatives (namely methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl paraben) are weakly estrogenic.  In an estrogen receptor binding assay, butyl paraben was able to compete with the female hormone estradiol for binding to estrogen receptors with an affinity approximately 5 orders of magnitude lower than that of diethylstilbestrol (a highly carcinogenic synthetic estrogen), and between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude less than nonlyphenol (an estrogenic synthetic industrial chemical).

Taken orally, the parabens were inactive.  Burt subcutaneous (below the skin) administration of butyl paraben produce a positive estrogenic response on uterine tissues.  Although 100,000 times less potent than 17 beta-estradiol, more exposure to the parabens may compensate for their lower potency.  The researchers conclude, “Given their use in a wide range of commercially available topical preparations, it is suggested that the safety in use of these chemicals should be reassessed.”  More and more manufacturers are moving away from using parabens in their products, but it still rests on the consumers to take the time to read the ingredients in the products prior to purchase.

The European Union asked the European Cosmetics and toiletry industry about the result of these new studies and the implications for breast cancer.  These preservatives are found in most of skin and body lotions, even in natural progesterone creams.  Generally, for the steroid hormones, taken orally, the hormones (90 percent ratio) first pass are metabolized and deemed inactive by the liver and this 90 percent does not reach the body. Taken orally, only 10 percent reaches the body.  In contrast, anything absorbed by the skin is directly absorbed and bypasses the liver.  In other words, anything put on and absorbed by the skin may be as high as 10 times the potency of an oral dose.

In my clinical experience, if you can get the endometriosis patients to stop parabens on their skin alone without doing anything else, the endometriosis patients will feel much better after 2 months.  The alternative medicine approach for cystic breast issues is the same, avoid xenoestrogens.  Be very careful about what goes on the skin.  My rule of thumb is if you cannot eat it, you should not place it on the skin either.

Unfortunately, some natural progesterone creams were found to contain methyl and propyl parabens as a preservative.  The preservative may masquerade under a different name such as rand name that contains these parabens.  A fast web search may reveal this possible charade.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SHAMPOOS YOU USE

•  There are shampoos on the market that contain high amounts of estrogen.  Placental Extracts – these contain hormones estrogen, estrone, and progesterone as contaminants. They are found in shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and astringents, body and skin creams. Please take the time to do your homework by researching the list of ingredients in the products that you are using, especially on your children.

ESTROGENIC SUNSCREENS

 Many do not realize that five out of six chemicals used to block UV in sunscreen products are estrogenic.

Margaret Schlumpf and her colleagues (Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Switzerland) finds that many widely used sunscreen chemicals pretend and mimic the effects of estrogen and trigger developmental abnormalities in rats. (Schlumpf, Margaret; Beata Cotton, Mariane Conscience, Vreni Haller, Beate Steinmann, Walter Lichtensteiger, In vitro and in vivo estrogenicity of UV screens. Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 109 March 2001 pp 239-244). Margret’s research group studied six common chemicals that are used in sunscreens lipsticks and facial cosmetics.

Five of the six tested chemicals (benzophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC), octyl-methoxycinnamate and octyl-dimethyl-PABA) behaved like strong estrogen (do NOT stimulate estradiol, they pretend to be estradiol) in lab tests and caused cancer cells to grow more rapidly.  Only one chemical – a UVA protector called butyl-methoxydibenzolymethand (B-MDM) showed no activity.

Uterine growth is linked to endometriosis.  One very common sunscreen chemical, 4- MBC, was mixed with olive oil and applied to rat skin, 4-MBC caused a doubling of the rate of uterine growth well before puberty.  That was scary, because we used concentrations that are in the range allowed in sunscreens, stated Schlumpf.  Three of the six common chemicals in sunscreen caused developmental abnormalities in animals.  The major cause of sterility in women in the USA is endometriosis, a condition afflicting 5,5 percent of American women.  Exposure to excessive estrogen is felt to be the primary cause of endometriosis.  One source of these xenoestrogens is sunscreen.  Perhaps a sunscreen using zinc oxide is a better choice.

AIR FRESHENERS AND CANDLES ARE THE NEW SECONDHAND SMOKE

 Studies involving rat and human subjects suggest that high exposures to certain kinds of phthalates may cause cancer, developmental and sex hormone abnormalities (including decreased testosterone and sperm levels and malformed sex organs) in infants and can affect fertility. Alternative medicine believes that these phthalates can also cause cystic breast issues.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no regulations on the use of phthalates.  The FDA does not require the labeling of phthalate content on products.  The FDA does not consider the quantities to which people are exposed to be harmful. Yet, other countries think not.  In 2004, the European Union banned two types of phthalates in cosmetics and bans the chemical in children’s toys, as do 14 other countries. They also contribute to lung tissue irritation triggering asthma attacks in small children and connections to sinus irritation and inflammation and eye irritation.

WHAT STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO DETOX THESE CHEMICAL IMPOSTORS OUT OF THE BODY?

 The best place to begin of course is to do your best to limit your exposure to these chemicals by educating yourself on the ingredients in the products you use. Next course of action would be to heal, harmonize, reduce, detoxify, build and accelerate, rejuvenation of the liver since it is responsible for protecting the body from toxic elements.

• Cleaning up the diet is always a great place to begin by increasing whole foods, grains, fruits and vegetables. But you want to increase specific food choices that are supportive to the liver and liver function.
• Beets
• Sweet rice
• Strawberry
• Peach
• Cherry
• Chestnut
• Pine nut
• Cabbage
• Turnip root
• Kohlrabi
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Sprouted grains
• Beans
• Seeds
• Unrefined apple cider
• Brown rice vinegar: the flavor of vinegar is both bitter and sour and has a detoxifying and activating property that supports the liver nicely
• Lemon
• Lime
• Grapefruit
• Rye
• Romaine
• Asparagus
• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Alfalfa
• Radish leaves
• Dandelion
• Chaparral
• Milk thistle
• Oregon grape root
• Chamomile flowers
• Licorice root
• Mung beans and sprouts
• Celery
• Seaweeds (kelp is very helpful)
• Cucumber
• Watercress, millet

Foods that rebuild the liver and blood are mung beans, sprouts and chlorophyll rich foods, cucumber, tofu and millet, while seaweed, watercress, and plum improve water metabolism.  Fresh cold-pressed flax oil and extracted oils of borage, evening primrose, or black currant seeds significantly improve the status of the liver.

Food that accelerate liver rejuvenation is again chlorophyll rich foods like wheat or barley grass juice and the micro-algae my favorites are spirulina and chlorella.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE STRESS EFFECT

 Way back in the 1960’s, a noted Canadian researcher Hans Selye, M.D., wrote a book in which he presented his findings on the effect of stress on the human body.  Sixty years after its publication, The Stress of Life can still be found on the shelves.  Apparently, stress is still alive and kicking.  Selye proved that stress is not a vague or undefinable term used to indicate that we are unloved, overworked and underpaid.  Rather, Selye found that the body responds to any kind of stress, be it mechanical, chemical, or emotional, in a very specific and predictable way.

This predictable response by the body He referred to as “the general adaptation syndrome”.  If a stimulus (stress) is applied to it that requires change on the part of the body to maintain normalcy, then an alarm signal is sent to the brain, which produces a resistance reaction.  If the stimulus is removed and was strong enough as to cause tissue damage, then we probably do not even notice.  Many such reactions occur in our bodies every day as we automatically adjust our rates of respiration and heartbeat as well as countless hormonal and autonomic nerve responses to meet changes in our environments, both external and internal.

If the stimulus is continued, then the body’s response must continue to resist its effect and a state of compensation is reached – that is, the parts of the body affected by the stimulus/stress must elicit aid from other tissues, or, inmost cases, being using increased amounts of nutrients to maintain its heightened state of function.  This situation will continue if the stimulus is applied and if the flow of nutrition is maintained, and the waste products formed by the affected organ’s tissue are not allowed to accumulate.

The body enters a state of exhaustion once the tissue becomes fatigued due to a lack of support from related tissues or organs, nutrition, or waste removal because the stimulus is simply to strong: At this point we begin to experience symptoms.  The affected tissues are not exhausted to the point of tissue damage.  Objective finds such s physical examinations, blood tests, and x-rays at this point are still negative, so we have not entered the zone of disease.  Yet health has not been maintained, and we have left the zone of nutrition.

Any stimulus that threatens homeostasis has disease producing potential.  Therefore, any treatment designed to suppress unpleasant symptoms diminishes the body’s ability to protect itself.

So, we can look at the internal environment and you will see some cells, tissues, and organs under a considerable amount of stress. It may be mechanical, chemical, or emotional; the source does not matter.  The cell is unable to perform its function properly because the stress is either too strong or has been there too long, and the cell either does not have adequate nutrition or has accumulated too much waste.  In other words, its environment is not adequate.  Perhaps it is not doing its share to keep the environment normal, and other cells are suffering.

The rest of this society of cells will do what they can to maintain the internal environment.  Some may even die trying.  The body will rob Peter to pay Paul to keep the whole alive and well.  IT might have to destroy some cells to get some nutrients such as protein or sugar, (cannibalize itself) but it will do it as required, that’s how the body is programmed for self -survival. You become diseased only when it cannot longer maintain the internal environment. (Howard F. Loomis Jr. D.C.)

Food production and processing has been greatly affected.  Sporadic eating habits in a fast-paced lifestyle is compromising the hormonal health of everyone at some level.

The first hurdle is making lifestyle changes with one’s nutritional program needs and to start with the understanding that ANY food that is canned, frozen, dehydrated, texturized, softened or that has been chemically laden to increase shelf life falls in the category of “processed food”.  Research shows that in North America the diet consists of 60 percent processed foods. Researchers have discovered that preservatives are altering our biochemistry and can lead to autoimmune conditions, cancer, obesity, insulin resistance and accelerated aging.

Being able to understand what “bad” fats are is also imperative to living a healthier life.  When a regular fat is blasted with a hydrogen ion and the liquid is changed to a solid at room temperature, hydrogenated fats are created.  Hydrogenated fats increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels dramatically.  Just a 2 percent increase of trans fatty acids increases the chance of heart disease by 23 percent. A New England Journal of Medicine review of more than 80 studies found that trans-fat is more dangerous to health than any food contaminates even when it is only 1 to 3 percent of the total calorie intake.  Only 20-60 calories from artificial trans-fat per day will start damaging health.

When we address the over use of sugars in the diet we cannot help but point out the over use of High Fructose Corn Syrup, or artificial sweeteners, which has supporting research to show that not only are these linked to cancer but also increase cravings, they contribute to weight gain and make the body more insulin resistant. When these artificial sweeteners like sucralose is broken down in the body, methanol is produced. Methanol is a neurotoxic alcohol which is hundreds of times more potent than that of the alcohol in alcoholic beverages. Aspartame has thus been shown to cause neurological disease and symptoms including headaches, muscles spasm, dizziness, twitching, memory loss, migraines, and even seizures. (MDA, 2015)

Next, we can touch on the caffeine craze. Between the coffee espresso and the energy drinks it sends a big message that people are running on empty.  People are tossing their body into fight or flight mode.  Caffeine feeds into the bloodstream and the adrenals secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine which sets off a chain of hormonal events that brings on weight gain.  The liver releases blood sugar and the pancreas subsequently secrete insulin to counteract the sugar and therefore the blood sugar dips due to the release of insulin.  Blood vessels are constricted, and sugar cravings usually follow.  Cortisol levels are elevated, and consistent intake of caffeine contributes to deterioration of the adrenal glands and causes the body to stay in a perpetual state of stress.

Realizing that 90 percent of all hormone disrupting chemicals are found in everyday foods, choosing to eat more organic foods will help reduce the bodies exposure to toxic exposure.  The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to consumer health and protection has published a list of the twelve most densely sprayed fruits and vegetables called the Dirty Dozen and they include the fifteen least sprayed fruits and vegetables call the clean fifteen.

The widespread infiltration of all these chemical hormonal imposters is a vey serious threat to not only the health of adults today but poses a much higher risk of impaired health issues for the upcoming generations.  Recognition and a willingness to make necessary changes in lifestyle and nutrition can only lead to better health. It can feel like a battle in the beginning, but it is a battle worth fighting.

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