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Study: Autism Linked to Industrial Food, Environment
Report cites prevalence of high-fructose corn syrup in US diet as possible contributor to alarming epidemic
A new study by Clinical Epigenetics, a peer-reviewed journal that focuses largely on diseases, has found that the rise in autism in the United States could be linked to the industrial food system, specifically the prevalence of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the American diet. The study, published yesterday online, explores how mineral deficiencies could impact how the human body rids itself of common toxic chemicals like mercury and pesticides. The report comes just after a different report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, documented a startling rise in autism in the United States.
An autistic child (photo: Help with Autism) “To better address the explosion of autism, it’s critical we consider how unhealthy diets interfere with the body’s ability to eliminate toxic chemicals, and ultimately our risk for developing long-term health problems like autism.” said Dr. David Wallinga, a study co-author and physician at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
The report's key findings:
- Autism and related disorders affect brain development. The current study sought to determine how environmental and dietary factors, like HFCS consumption, might combine to contribute to the disorder.
- Consumption of HFCS, for example, is linked to the dietary loss of zinc, which interferes with the elimination of heavy metals from the body. Many heavy metals like mercury, arsenic and cadmium are potent toxins with adverse effects on brain development in the young.
- HFCS consumption can also impact levels of other beneficial minerals, including calcium. Loss of calcium further exacerbates the detrimental effects of exposure to lead on brain development in fetuses and children.
- Inadequate levels of calcium in the body can also impair its ability to expel organophosphates, a class of pesticides long recognized by the EPA and independent scientists as especially toxic to the young developing brain.
* * *
Clinical Epigenetics: Abstract
The number of children ages 6 to 21 in the United States receiving special education services under the autism disability category increased 91 % between 2005 to 2010 while the number of children receiving special education services overall declined by 5 %. The demand for special education services continues to rise in disability categories associated with pervasive developmental disorders. Neurodevelopment can be adversely impacted when gene expression is altered by dietary transcription factors, such as zinc insufficiency or deficiency, or by exposure to toxic substances found in our environment, such as mercury or organophosphate pesticides. Gene expression patterns differ geographically between populations and within populations. Gene variants of paraoxonase-1 are associated with autism in North America, but not in Italy, indicating regional specificity in gene-environment interactions. In the current review, we utilize a novel macroepigenetic approach to compare variations in diet and toxic substance exposure between these two geographical populations to determine the likely factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States.
* * *
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: Study Links Autism with Industrial Food, Environment
The epidemic of autism in children in the United States may be linked to the typical American diet according to a new study published online in Clinical Epigenetics by Renee Dufault, et. al. The study explores how mineral deficiencies—affected by dietary factors like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—could impact how the human body rids itself of common toxic chemicals like mercury and pesticides.
The release comes on the heels of a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that estimates the average rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among eight year olds is now 1 in 88, representing a 78 percent increase between 2002 and 2008. Among boys, the rate is nearly five times the prevalence found in girls.
“To better address the explosion of autism, it’s critical we consider how unhealthy diets interfere with the body’s ability to eliminate toxic chemicals, and ultimately our risk for developing long-term health problems like autism.” said Dr. David Wallinga, a study co-author and physician at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).
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114 Comments so far
Show AllIf I'm not mistaken, the article is saying that minerals we know are necessary in the human diet actually help the body deal with toxic substances. When trace minerals are not already depleted in the soil, they are refined out of our food so that most of what we consume is sadly lacking in what could easily be present. I myself refuse to eat white bread, white rice, etc. and do take supplements.
Perhaps organic farms and home gardens, especially when using compost and other natural amendments to the soil, will help remedy the situation. And, of course, public education about foods and their nutritional value is sorely needed.
For many years, "health foods" and OTC dietary supplements have been dismissed, no doubt with substantial financial support from Big Food Corps., as fringe, New-Agey, hippie, faddish quackery with no scientifically measurable health benefits. Now that it's "science", it didn't suddenly become true that whole natural (mineral-rich) foods are superior - it was always true.
Although not discussed in the article, Roundup works on the concept of chelation, meaning it prevents "weeds" from retaining minerals, which kills them. When humans ingest "Roundup ready" pseudo-foods, the same chelation problem enters our systems, and we shed essential minerals.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/15/dr-don-hub...
It's clear, you have spent little or no time with autistic children, you are not educated on the characteristics of autism and therefore have no idea what you're talking about. I suggest you sign up as a volunteer in your school district's special ed classes.
"because I teach some of them."
No. What you say isn't even close to any real reality, that my family and I have lived and loved through.
Saying "It's associated with developmental delays," is far too dismissive of the facts, because it is demonstrably about providing specialized services (Individualized Educations Programs) that compensate for actual "developmental delays," including teaching assistants in the classrooms (that also aid the overall class and teacher).
How is the fact, that some "can catch up as early as 3rd grade," IF PROVIDED additional services -- in any way proof that there is a massive exaggeration of autism ?
And you use of language, doesn't indicate to me that you're a credentialed teacher, saying:
"Of course I'm not talking about the most severe cases, but those are kids with much worse going on than just autism."
More absurdities, in this:
"he needs to grow the maturity and balls to act that way all the time … She's also capable of being completely normal by the time she's in her teens, if she chooses to be."
Teenage and later adult behaviors, are deeply tied to how very young children learn facial expressions, and non-verbal clues -- in the normally profoundly beneficial obsession with discerning another's meaning. Early lapses and development failures in the Temporal lobes, are not so easily compensated as is found in "normal" development, that has none of those delays in wiring social interactions mostly before kindergarten
Yes, many kids with Autism, can eventually be mainstreamed -- but that hardly is equivalent to becoming "completely normal" -- as the PDD (see above) is a life-long burden that may certainly limit some activities more than others, depending on severity.
You totally are overstating and branding a world of diversity, disabilities nearly impossible to discern nor understand and those impactful differences, on one person you know :
"The woman who roleplays with my group uses her Aspergers as an excuse to be a total shit to her husband and a pain in the ass to others. It's like the little rich girl on Glee, but not funny."
Simple compassion, that most teachers intrinsically have -- would hardly BRAND another person that's struggling with a disability, as being a "total shit."
Haven't you ever been taught that one's behavior (making a mistake) is quite different than their shamefully being a mistake (like white on rice) ?
You cavalierly and baselessly claim, that "Most people just need an emotional education, some more than others," which entirely denies that there is an underlying development brain problem that mostly precludes any normal acquisition of "an emotional education" -- as that is why various degrees of specialized classes, therapy, and teachers are required (for most diagnosed).
AllTogether, I think if you had some contact with autistic people, you would see it goes way beyond social skills for many. Like many mental illnesses or conditions, the causes and cures remain mysterious and elusive. But I do agree with you that there are others with the "diagnosis" Aspergers who might have been thought of as simply eccentric in the past.
Who could have guessed that these kids have figured out BY themselves, that flapping their arms DOES make them feel better ?
Many kids on the spectrum (also with ADHD, sometimes co-morbidity: 'A concomitant but unrelated pathological or disease process'), find beneficial use of extremely simple devices, like inflated cushions to sit upon -- that provide a useful degree of self-stimulation (that unexpected random rocking motion soothes them) that improves one's ability to focus and concentrate their attention.
The more you post -- the more easy it is to discern -- that you likely have no idea what you're supposedly some expert talking sincerely about.
Why is my FACTUALLY denying and rebutting the absurdity of your clearly biased and nonsensical ignorant opinions -- obliquely described as a "personal attack?"
Really ? What is it that you've construed all together to appear as if TRUE ?
In fact, the ONLY way for you to have proof of what you claim, that autism is:
"being overly diagnosed,"
… is that: you know the DSM forwards and backwards; are a professional that uses such to diagnose such; AND that you've somehow gotten access to the private medical records of millions; done your own extensive physical, mental, and behavioral exams; AND that your superior understanding of all of this leads you to reverse (some of) those previous diagnoses -- as well as kicking lots of otherwise less suffering kids back into the main stream public school system.
So I'll quote you as saying "in fact, that I'd say" that is called child abuse …
Being a parent, who has gone through this -- I can assure you that autism is far beyond merely being within stupefyingly obtuse allusion of the "normal range of humanity."
I find it VERY distressing that you dehumanize and marginalize real human disability, as having somehow been equated with being merely overweight and supposedly including "lots of [other] correlations with autism"
Many people are in fact disabled, or only temporarily enabled -- and a cursory and superficial viewpoint of such challenges, seems all to easy to make and then conclude that 'there is nothing to see here, please move along …'
Compassion for others, is about 'walking in their shoes' and/or (for instance) having your legs chopped off and wearing prosthetics … … …
Some kids with Autism, actually learn language and can talk to their parents as infants, until the disease increasingly intensifies and in reversing normal development, it then literally leaves the kids speechless for the rest of their lives.
If only some, could be lead to
'talk a mile in those shoes' ?
Your postings are worse.
"fascinated by how you" deceptively insinuate that the previous poster "think[s] the defining characteristic of [their] grandson is autism," when that dehumanizing issue is not even part of the comment.
This is a well known fallacious straw man argument tactic, used when those w/o the ability to discuss things reasonably and rationally, who attempt to scurrilously personally attack another, making for themselves a pretext to make the other look seemingly incredibly obtuse and not relevant.
BUT, your getting caught doing so,
sinks your already minuscule credibility further
-- and thereby elevates --
the other's significantly.
I guess worse things could happen, like getting:
"hoisted by your own petard" ?
-------------
What's really something worthwhile to be "fascinated by," is your making use of and then promulgating clearly progressive ideas -- that none could humanely argue with -- as a deceptive feint and for protective camouflage of your implanting lies.
Of course, it is always best to:
"view all the people with autism that I know as people first"
and even to view people clearly deceiving others, as people as well.
Tiger got to hunt,
Bird got to fly,
Man got to wonder, why, why why?
Tiger got to sleep,
Bird got to land,
Man got to tell hisself he understand.
Calypso by Kurt Vonnegut in Cat's Cradle
As to the difference between boys and girls, because girls have 2 X chromosomes and boys an X and a defective broken X chromosome called a Y chromosome. This Y lacks most genes, which means it lacks most beneficial genes. When a child receives an X from a parent with some mutated negative gene and a Y from the other parent, the Y lacks the dominant gene that could counter the mutated gene. Thus, defects happen much more often in boys.
To inherit a negative condition, girls need the defective allele (a fancy name for a variant of a particular gene) from both parents.
As to why do Amerikans eat crap and pink slime and HFCS, because the little baby Jesus told them to eat it and to accept degradation at the hands of the 1%. Europeans do it too, only not as obviously. I lived in Europe for almost 20 years and have a very good feel for social class distinctions. I remember scandals in Italy with sawdust in bread and animal blood in wine.
Capitalism corrupts absolutely.
Ingestion of highly-processed industrial foods causes a loss of essential minerals necessary for elimination of toxins AND it also causes obesity.
The obesity study did not claim to have found a causal relationship between maternal obesity and childhood autism - only a high correlation.
This study, from the very new but far more holistic science of epigenetics (the environmental triggering of gene expression), seems to have found a direct causal relationship.
It's findings, however, should be no surprise to anyone, since almost all of today's chronic diseases are diseases of civilization.
But wouldn't that mean a Government conspiracy working hand in glove with the Corporations?
>snark off<
I would like to say however, that I fully agree there are very likely many other reasons for the now epidemic state of childhood autism.... As stated in the article, our “environment”… That would include our water and oxygen or the air we breathe.
I don’t believe any person under the age of 60 even know what the three words, “clean fresh air” actually means. And not very many know what clean water is, unless they are able to have some deep pristine aquifer water. Even mountain spring water is now polluted with a variety of poisons.
Autism is primarily a birth defect, a problem in the babies brain cells which was caused from one or both parent being contaminated with human created poisons of some type, which altered the genetic makeup of the fetus.
Autism in a child who was born with the brain malfunction is usually not diagnosed as such until the child is two or more years of age, that depends upon the severity of the malady
The dramatic increase of autism is almost in lockstep with the dramatic increase of childhood cancers and asthsma, which began to show itheir ugly heads after the nuclear age began in 1945.
After many nuclear atomic bombs were tested and after many nuclear reactors were put on line and nuclear accidents at power plants became more common and especially the TMI and Chernobyl disasters and after 26 nations began using "depleted uranium", DU, for weapons of war, childhood cancers asthsma and autism began a steady climb, until they are now in the class of medical epidemics.
Add to those human created radioactive poisons are the thousands of chemical plants, producing many different types of poisons, weed killers, pest poisons, fertalizers and oil based plastics which are used to package almost all of our foods instead of using safe, biodegradable hemp plastic.
Then we have another most serious issue of burning coal, which produces many heavy metal poisons' and DU and is also acidifying our oceans waters’ and literally killing all ocean life.
There are many reasons for the autism disaster, and every one of them is curable, but until people in charge of world governments wake up to the truth of what is going on and give a damn, nothing is gong to be cured. ,
Thanks (I was aka Gerald) for the salient comments and facts.
AUTISM has many links including the roles of: genetic sensitivity to toxicity, diet, food sensitivities, amalgam fillings, vaccinations (the cost saving use of Hg preservatives and toxic adjuncts - more than vaccines themselves), and the unrelenting almost entirely unregulated environmental toxicity (externalized costs never seen on corporate financial balancing acts).
Here's another little scientific detail, to add to the mix.
Cigarettes killing smokers, is primarily from radioactivity spewed from Coal burning power plants deposited on tobacco leaves, that since the 60s -- was determined to be easily rinsed off -- but because it lowered the level of nicotine, it was never done.
How many millions have died or suffered horribly, to assure the killer corporations'
"greed at any cost" ?
-----------------
Personally, I feel the tobacco juice stains on the corporations' hands, were meant to cover up the blood …
Any links for the radiation on tobacco leaves statement? I don't doubt you, but would appreciate documentation of a big claim. I have heard it before, but since I don't smoke, haven't looked into it. I know you generally back up your statements.
I can say this however, one small example of how radiation can cause mutations. The nurse sharks at the Bikini Atol area only have one dorsal fin and a small hump where the second fin is suppsed to be located... That medical malfunction is a mutation attributed to the under water hydrogen atomic bomb tests there in 1945, 6... Radiation mutations which are similar to the two headed trout now being found in the fresh water streams northwest of Fukushima, Japan.
Our government cleaned up the Bikini Islands of all radiation hazards and planted millions of trees and plants after the hydrogen atomic bomb tests stopped and finlly the native citizens were allowed to return to their homes in those beautiful Pacific Islands.
However; in 1970 so many people there were dying from radiation sickness and there were so many birth defects that they were all evacuated once again... The exact cause of the radiation sickness was not pinned down until recently.
Now it has been determined that the plants, fruits and veggies there are very (*hot*), unsafe for consumption... They are loaded with cesium 137 and the worst is in coconut meat and milk.
There is lots of sea life there now and the coral reefs are beginning to return to some degree, but the sub sea soil is dangerously hot from cesium 137... Too hot to handle.
Radioactive elements whihc are injested or inhaled by a person can cause changes to their genes and damage DNA and can cause cancer and birth defects with their children.
http://www.epa.gov/radtown/tobacco.html
Newscientist
http://bit.ly/HAfHSH
http://bit.ly/gMoREu
"Radioactive Polonium in Tobacco"
http://www.webspawner.com/users/radioactivethreat/
"For over 40 years, researchers and tobacco corporations have known that cigarettes contain radionuclides(1). The contamination is sourced in naturally occurring radioactive radon gas(2) which is absorbed and trapped in apatite rock(3). Apatite, or phosphate rock, is mined for the purpose of formulating the phosphate portion of most chemical fertilizers(4). Polonium releases ionizing alpha radiation which is 20 times more harmful than either beta or gamma radiation when exposed to internal organs(5).
Lung cancer rates increased significantly during most of the 1900's(6). It's no coincidence that between 1938 and 1960, the level of polonium 210 in American tobacco tripled commensurate with the increased use of chemical fertilizers and Persistant Organic Pollutant (POP) accumulation(7).
In 1982, tobacco researchers DiFranza and Winters concluded that smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes per day exposed a person to the same radiation as 300 chest x-rays per year(8). Due to improvements in X-ray technology and increasing levels of radionuclides in tobacco, the Institute of Medicine now estimates that a heavy smoker is exposed to the equivalent radiation as up to 2,000 chest X-rays every year(9). The National Institutes of Health state that tobacco is by far the largest source of radiation for the American public(10). Polonium is also present in chewing tobacco, benignly referred to as smokeless tobacco, and may contribute to the development of oral cancers(11). "
There's a bunch of other recent articles, of which the one I read did not come up, in the search I just ran.
You begin by humbly stating that you're not qualified to judge the veracity of this science and then you proceed to declare a definition of autism: "Autism is primarily a birth defect".
We don't know that, and some cases of autism don't begin until a "trigger" is ingested or injected into the growing child.
What the field of epigenetics teaches us is that genes do not control our destiny. They are only the blueprint of possible designs, but environmental factors are required to trigger specific expressions among the range of possible outcomes.
That is why there have been so many reported cases of a child suddenly becoming autistic after a vaccination. And that is also why there is almost no incidence of autism (or diabetes) among the Amish. Not just because they don't allow vaccinations, but also because they don't live in industrial society - they live a far more natural existence.
I wrote I was not qualified to argue the words of the medical experts opinions on this article and I didn't do that. I agreed with the comments about our polluted environmnent and I offered some of my personal opinions and I never wrote all autism is from a birth defect.
I have read that autism is primarily a birth defect, often caused from radioactive poisons which altered genes in a parent or parents... In fact I do believe that altered genes is stated in this article.... Any you wrote that we do not know that. If we don't konw that one way or the other, why are you arguing with me?
It has been well proven that radiation poisoning can alter a person's genes and DNA.. So we do know that and it is tranferred in the male sperm or the female egg, or both.
Do you have a problem of someone mentioning the human created poisons in nuclear facilities and the use of DU and or the burning of coal? Or do yuou just like to shit on my posted comments?
You brought up a valid point about the Amish... They do eat better than the average American and I blame a lot of our medical problems on our food, diets and how it's packaged... I'd say if the Amish had many autistic children, most outsiders would never hear abou it.
It was you who contradicted yourself by admitting your lack of scientific expertise and then asserting as a matter of fact that autism is caused by a genetic defect. That's not a fact. And what this study demonstrates is that it's primarily determined by environmental factors, which almost every parent of an autistic child already knew.
How many babies are born with autism every minute? - Yahoo! Answers
Approx 106 children are born with autism every day or 4 to 5 every hour note that this is 2006 total births or every 13.5 minutes.")...... It has gotten far worse since 2006.
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091228072322AAEd45W
The really dramatic rise in autism was when the children who were effected by the release of cesium 134 and 137 from the Chernobyl accident and the Gulf Wars where DU was used extensively, had babies later on in their lives and many were born with autism.
You wrote in reply to me,, > quote.. ("It was you who contradicted yourself by admitting your lack of scientific expertise and then asserting as a matter of fact that autism is caused by a genetic defect. ")... End quote.
No; I wrote autism (can be) caused by genetic defects of either or both parents, which is a proven medical fact.
And you wrote,,, > quote.. ("That's not a fact. And what this study demonstrates is that it's primarily determined by environmental factors, which almost every parent of an autistic child already knew.")..End quote.
I very seriously doubt that most people who have inhaled raioactive isotopes are aware that they have and have possible altered their DNA and or genes and may later give birth to a child born with medical birth defects.
And I fully agreed with you and the article that autism is primarly caused by enviromental factors..... Those factors include all of the items I listed, including radiation hazards and from burning coal and more.... Do you disagre with that? Obviously you do, or you would not have replied to me as you have.
I don't care if you disagree with me ~Robert Riversong~, , in fact from you, it makes me more certain that I am correct. .