Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal and a recognized risk factor for bladder and lung cancers. It is also toxic to the human brain. Exposure to arsenic can lead to mental confusion, agitation and learning impairment. It is also possible, although not fully documented, that exposure to arsenic is responsible for symptoms of ADD and ADHD in some children who have been labeled with these conditions.

Arsenic is found in small amounts in the soil, and minute quantities can be detected in fruits and vegetables, especially those sprayed with certain pesticides. The largest source of exposure to arsenic is through wood used in home construction, which is treated with an arsenic-containing pesticide. Construction workers are especially at risk.

The same type of wood has also been used to make playground sets, leading to increased exposure for children. As a population group, they may be more vulnerable to neurological damage from arsenic and other heavy metals. Children who tend to place their hands or various objects in their mouths are thought to be at greatest risk.

Although arsenic-containing wood is supposed to be gradually phased out, it is still in use. You can read more about this topic in the February 8, 2003 issue of The New York Times or online at www.nytimes.com (search the archives for “arsenic”).

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The Deland Bakery of Deland, Florida specializes in alternative breads. Some of their breads are gluten-free, others are also yeast-free, and I haven’t seen any sugar or dairy products listed in any of their breads. Some of the breads are made from oats and, while oats do contain gluten, it’s a slightly different type of gluten that is some times tolerated by gluten-sensitive individuals.

The number for the Deland Bakery is 904.734.7553. They ship all over the country. Please note that I have no affiliation or direct experience with this bakery but they have been recommended by patients (and parents of patients).

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This seems unreal. Could a simple and inexpensive blood test detect any cancer anywhere in the body, and do so long before any other diagnostic procedure can find it?

It seems that the answer to this question is, quite possibly, yes. The test in question is known as the AMAS test and you can read about it at www.amascancertest.com.

It was developed and extensively researched in the 1990’s and has recently been approved by the FDA. As a result, it should be covered by insurance and can be ordered by any doctor anywhere in the country.

According to the literature, this test has a very low rate of false positives and false negatives, and is so sensitive that it can detect the presence of cancer even a year or longer before it can be identified by any other diagnostic means.

However, there is one major limitation. The AMAS test does not look for a protein that is indicative of a certain cancer, but rather for an antibody that is not specific to any type of cancer but is evidence that the body is fighting against some form of cancer. As cancers grow, they inhibit the immune system from fighting against them and, as a result, this test becomes unreliable in advanced cancers and recurrences. Since many cancers are first detected in advanced stages, this test cannot be used as a replacement for other diagnostic approaches and can only be seen as an additional early warning.

So why haven’t you heard more about this test? Maybe because it’s very new and new ideas take a while to receive widespread acceptance.

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Most of us know that our air, water and food conta in pollutants of various types and that they are subject to a great deal of quality monitoring and regulation.

Studies have also revealed that numerous environmental toxins accumulate in plants and animals, and are found in the highest concentrations in large predator animals that are at the top of the food chain.

But where do humans fit in all this? Do chemicals actually build up in our bodies as well?

The answer to these questions is unquestionably yes, and there have been a number of studies confirming this over the years. A new website sponsored an Environmental Working Group of Washington, DC offers a reprint of a recent study performed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine on this very topic.

The researchers looked for a broad range of chemicals in the blood and urine of volunteers. They found a total of 167 chemicals with an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals per individual tested.

Researchers then categorized these chemicals according to their known effects on humans and animals. A shocking statistic is that the largest number of chemicals that were found, 94 out of 167, are toxic to the brain and nervous system, while 79 cause birth defects and abnormal development and 76 are known to cause cancer. The study can be found in its entirety at www.ewg.org and clicking on “Body Burden: the pollution in people”.

Beyond mercury in vaccines and other environmental toxins, it is possible that we are ourselves poisoning our children before they are born because of the chemicals we carry in our bodies.

As surprising as the results of this study may be to some, the extent of pollutants in the human body may in fact be underestimated because many chemicals dissolve in fat and are stored in fatty tissues, but are not found in blood or urine. Among fatty tissues, the brain, with its 60% fat content, has the highest concentration of fat of any organ in the body.

I know information like this can be discouraging, especially if you have chronic health problems or if you are the parent of an autistic child and wondering if you should have more children. My advice is not to give up and work to overcome these problems because it is possible. A good place to start is to gain as much knowledge as possible, and the new book by Sherry Rogers, MD appropriately entitled “Detoxify or Die” (available from www.prestigepublishing.com) is worthwhile reading.

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Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback in which a patient is connected to an EEG machine through the placement of sensors on the surface of the scalp. It is a completely non-invasive process because a gel is used to hold the sensors in place. The EEG machine “reads” the electrical impulses that come from the brain and reproduces them on a computer screen.

Since there are certain brain frequency patterns that are associated with inattentiveness and hyperactivity, while other patterns are more desirable, individuals learn through repetition to train their brains to produce frequencies that are more beneficial for focused attention.

This process has been compared to weight training for building muscles. Proponents of this technique often state that the brain acts like a muscle and can “grow” and become more able to focus through training.

Although there have been several studies on neurofeedback and most of them have had positive outcomes, this technique has not been endorsed by mainstream medicine for a variety of reasons, including the lack of double-blind studies.

One study that was conducted at the Family Psychology Institute in Endicott, New York, followed 100 children and teens over a period of one year. All of them had been diagnosed with ADHD and were taking Ritalin; however, only half the children also received weekly sessions of neurofeedback.

After one year all of the children were doing better, but only those who had received neurofeedback continued to show improvements after they stopped taking Ritalin. In addition, children in the neurofeedback group showed a greater degree of improvement.

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CNN and various newspapers, including The New York Times and the Houston Chronicle, recently reported on a Swedish study (The New England Journal of Medicine, January 2003; 348: 287-294, 347-349) linking Vitamin A with an increased risk of fractures in aging men. These reports have led many people to wonder if supplements containing Vitamin A are safe, and many media outlets are advising readers against the use of any Vitamin A.

Since I often recommend cod liver oil (which does in fact contain Vitamin A) and other Vitamin A supplements, I was very puzzled by these reports and read the study in its entirety. I was surprised to see how little is known about the participants in the study. Basically all that was recorded was their level of Vitamin A in blood and the incidence of fractures over a thirty-year period. To conclude with certainty from this scant information that Vitamin A is dangerous seems quite a stretch to me.

Before we start thinking of Vitamin A as hazardous, let’s remember that it plays many important roles, including in vision, cell differentiation, early fetal development, immunity, taste, appetite and growth. Vitamin A is an important antioxidant and may have anticancer and antiviral actions. Signs of deficiency include night blindness, acne and other skin conditions, reduced immunity, chronic viral conditions, complications from measles and, conceivably from the measles vaccine.

The US RDA (recommended daily allowance) for Vitamin A is 5,000 IU (international units) a day for adults and proportionately less for children. The most important recognized risk of Vitamin A is that doses exceeding 10,000 units a day in pregnant women were associated with a higher risk of certain birth defects in one study (Lancet 1988;1:236). However, another study found such doses to be associated with a reduction of the same type of birth defects (Lancet 1996;347:899-900). In total there have been fewer than 20 cases reported worldwide of birth defects possibly caused by Vitamin A overdose.

In numerous studies, doses far greater than the RDA were found to be both safe and effective. Doses of 400,000 units a day for 5 months in adolescents with acne were found to be effective and caused no side effects (Int J Dermatol 1981;114:1776 and Br Med J 1963;2:294). The short-term administration of doses of 200,000 to 400,000 units in small children were also studied, and were found to reduce the occurrence of complications from measles and pneumonia while enhancing immunity, again with no side effects reported. Incidentally, the benefits were documented both in children who were deficient in Vitamin A as well as in children who were not (J Trop Pediatr 2002;48(2):72-7, Clin Infec Dis 1994;19(3):489-99, Am J Epidemiol 1997;146(8):646-54, and many other published studies. You may e-mail me for a full list).

Interestingly, this most recent study linking Vitamin A with fractures in aging individuals was performed in Sweden, a country not known for its abundant sunshine. Since we know without a doubt that Vitamin D is associated with bone health and that much of our intake of Vitamin D comes from the sun, it is possible that Vitamin D deficiency is rampant in Sweden. This may explain why Scandinavians in general have higher rates of fractures in comparison to other Europeans.

One possible explanation of why fracture rates were higher in the study participants who had more Vitamin A in their blood is that vitamins A and D need to be balanced. Everything in nature is a matter of balance, and excessive intake of Vitamin A without enough Vitamin D may cause a relative Vitamin D deficiency, possibly leading to brittle bones.

Cod liver oil is apparently a very popular supplement in Sweden, and some experts suggested that the individuals with high levels of Vitamin A in their blood may have consumed ample doses of cod liver oil, over many decades, and this may have depleted them of Vitamin D.

Cod liver oil actually contains both vitamins A and D, but is tilted towards Vitamin A. It is plausible that consuming it without being exposed to sufficient sunshine or taking additional Vitamin D explains the results of this study. This theory may be the best we have, but is not entirely convincing since cod liver oil, in spite of its high Vitamin A to Vitamin D ratio, was used successfully in the 1800’s to treat rickets, a childhood disorder of bone development caused by Vitamin D deficiency.

In my opinion, a normal intake of Vitamin A from cod liver oil or other sources within the RDA should not be of concern, especially if properly balanced with Vitamin D through sunlight exposure or supplements. In special cases much higher doses of Vitamin A can be greatly beneficial, but these doses should be taken only under the supervision of a trained professional, and this study clearly points out some of the risks of not doing so.

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All we seem to hear about on the news is that moderate alcohol consumption is good for the heart. I often wonder who sponsors these studies and how they manage to get reported so regularly. The flaw of all these studies is that they only look at the relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease, disregarding other aspects of health.

A very large British study (Br J Cancer, 2002 Nov 18; 87 (11): 1195-6) that looked at the relationship between alcohol consumption and breast cancer reached a different conclusion. It found that for every alcoholic drink consumed on a daily basis the risk of breast cancer goes up by 6%. Although 6% may not sound like much, it is cumulative and may come on top of other risk factors. It should also be noted that this study only looked at breast cancer, but there is no reason to believe that other cancers might not behave similarly.

If you are concerned about your risk of breast cancer, there is a new simple and inexpensive urine test that looks at the ratio between two estrogens: 2 and 16 hydroxy estrogen.

While every woman and man has both of these estrogens, research has shown that an overabundance of the 16 in relation to the 2 hydroxy estrogen leads to an increased risk of breast cancer and other hormone sensitive cancers (possibly including prostate cancer in men). The reason for this increased risk is that the 16 estrogen is aggressive whereas the 2 has a protective action, and when they are properly balanced the risk of cancer is greatly reduced.

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©1994 Elaine Gottschall

3 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups nut flour
1/3 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 2/3 cup liquid honey (use less, if desired)

Mix nut flour (try finely ground almonds), melted butter, honey, and zucchini. Add beaten eggs, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Mix well. Bake in muffin tins, lined with papers, at 350 degrees F (180 C) for about 20 minutes or until done.

From “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” by Elaine Gottschall

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In the ongoing debate on modern medicine one argument always wins out: we now live longer so today’s medical approach must have it right! However, the facts surrounding long life and how we got to this point are not always clear in everyone’s mind. First we must distinguish between life expectancy and longevity.

Life expectancy is calculated by averaging the age of death of all the people in a society. It will fall if more people die at a young age from accidents, disease or war, but doesn’t really tell us much about how long the oldest people in society live, or their longevity.

After a long period of stability, life expectancy started to increase with the industrial revolution and has more than doubled over the past few centuries. Historically, many people died prematurely from a variety of conditions. Because of poor food distribution and widespread poverty, malnutrition was endemic. Children died from complications of childhood diseases or simple infections. Those who survived into adulthood faced many more challenges. For example, not too long ago childbirth was a common cause of death for young women, and TB prematurely ended many lives.

Factors that have been credited for increasing life expectancy include improved sanitation, hygiene, increased wealth, refrigeration, improved waste removal, better water quality and so on. For example, until the late 19th century, physicians did not understand the importance of something as basic as handwashing and thus contributed to the spread of disease.

Medicine certainly played a role in this evolution, but its role has generally been overestimated. Vaccines are thought of major lifesaver, but it is a well-documented fact that most childhood diseases were no longer significant killers by the time vaccines were introduced. For a detailed and referenced discussion of this important point, see www.HealthSentinel.com and click on “vaccines.”

Although antibiotics saved many lives, the incidence of major killers like TB were already in steep decline when penicillin was first introduced, probably as a result of better hygiene and improved nutrition.

Even when life expectancy was at its lowest, a few individuals who were fortunate enough to survive into and past middle age lived out long and full lives, well into their eighties and beyond. This has been documented throughout history, and in fact longevity, or how long people can live, is a genetically predetermined limit that has never been shown to change.

Extending human life past these programmed limits is an old dream that some extremist groups are now claiming they can achieve by creating a breed of “genetically engineered” humans. In fact no drug, vitamin, or hormone has ever been shown to increase longevity. This genetic limit can simply not be exceeded through these means. However, a diet was shown to do just this: extend life past its genetic limits!

This diet is described in a book entitled “The 120-Year Diet” by Roy Walford, MD. Unfortunately this book is now out of print, probably because of lack of reader interest, but can be obtained from websites specializing in out-of-print books like www.alibris.com.

The diet described by Dr. Walford is backed by a large body of animal research that is, in all likelihood, applicable to humans. If this animal data is extrapolated to humans, then we could expect to live to be 120 if we cut back drastically on caloric intake (basically, eat much less) but without sacrificing our intake of essential nutrients to avoid malnutrition.

If you are like me, this diet may look good on paper, but it’s not too likely you’ll actually follow it for very long. However, a new study (Science, January 24, 2003; 299: 572-574) performed on genetically engineered mice suggests that it is insulin control, not calorie restriction, that is responsible for prolonging life. To control your insulin forget the dessert, bread and pasta, but enjoy your steak (organic and grass-fed, of course) and lots of fresh vegetables.

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This recipe comes from one of the many dedicated mothers I have the fortune to know.

1 cup of organic raw nuts (avoid peanuts, use any nuts you or your child like: almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, etc.)
4 cups filtered or spring water
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (read ingredient list carefully, as may be a hidden source of gluten)
4 teaspoons of raw honey or pure vegetable glycerin

Blend nuts in blender to a fine powder but don’t let them become a paste (you can use a small jar attachment that comes with some blenders for the nut blending instead of the regular large pitcher and make two small batches if necessary). Scrape out all nuts from blades and transfer to large pitcher. Add water, vanilla and sweetener to ground nuts and blend until smooth. If you desire a smoother milk, strain through a fine sieve (usually unnecessary unless the nuts have skins).

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A large population study just published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, January 1, 2003; 289: 49-55) confirms that autism is occurring at an
unprecedented rate. In fact, if all forms of autism are considered, more than one child in 150 is autistic. To put it in perspective, in the 1980’s this condition was estimated to affect less than one child in 10,000. This confirms that autism cannot be simply a genetic condition since there cannot be epidemics of genetic diseases.

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Most people I know have an intuitive sense that cancer rates are going up. This point, however, has been charged with controversy, with medical authorities holding that any apparent increase is due to earlier and improved diagnostic procedures. In fact, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has said for years that cancer rates are declining in the United States, but a large-scale new study published in the NCI’s own journal (J Natl Cancer Inst 2002 Oct 16;94(20):1537-45) reveals that a series of reporting delays and errors hid the fact that rates are, in reality, rising. For example, the study found that, once corrections are made for a series of statistical inaccuracies, the rate of breast cancer in white women has been going up by 0.6 percent each year since 1987. Melanoma has been going up by 4.1 percent per year and prostate cancer in men by 2.2 percent.

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Elaine Gottschall has a remarkable story to tell. At the age of only five, her daughter was diagnosed with an incurable form of ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the immune system in which the body attacks the lining of the colon and, ultimately, destroys it. There was not much to rejoice about regarding the treatment plan: control the disease using steroids and sulfa drugs, both of which have serious side effects, followed by surgery to remove the colon, one piece at a time.

Mrs. Gottschall was a mother, not a medical expert, but when she was told that her daughter’s illness was in no way related to diet or digestion, she had trouble accepting this as fact. Although there were no support groups to turn to at the time, Mrs. Gottschall did not stop searching for a different answer. Two years after the diagnosis, physicians recommended surgery to remove part of her daughter’s colon. By that time Mrs. Gottschall had found a better answer from Dr. Merril P. Haas, a physician who had been treating a variety of digestive disorders using a diet he called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

This diet was different from any other in that it was highly selective as to the types of sugars and starches allowed. Her daughter’s condition improved quickly after starting the diet, and within two years she had completely recovered. A few years later she was even able to start eating normally without adverse consequences.

After this experience, Mrs. Gottshall wrote a book, now in its second edition and ninth printing, called “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” (available from www.amazon.com if not in your local bookstore). While explaining the diet in a mother’s terms, the book also contains more than 80 pages of delicious recipes, including an excellent one for homemade yogurt. More recipes can be downloaded from the thirteen websites listed in the book that are mostly supported by individuals whose lives were transformed by this diet.

It soon became apparent that the Specific Carbohydrate Diet could do much more than cure many cases of supposedly incurable digestive disorders. It also helped individuals with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, headaches, arthritis and other chronic disorders. In children, it helped hyperactivity as well as hypoactivity, autism, chronic constipation or diarrhea and even schizophrenia. In my opinion, for many autistic children it is a far superior option to the generally recommended gluten-free/casein-free diet even though it is not strictly casein-free.

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Elaine Gottschall has a remarkable story to tell. At the age of only five, her daughter was diagnosed with an incurable form of ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the immune system in which the body attacks the lining of the colon and, ultimately, destroys it. There was not much to rejoice about regarding the treatment plan: control the disease using steroids and sulfa drugs, both of which have serious side effects, followed by surgery to remove the colon, one piece at a time.

Mrs. Gottschall was a mother, not a medical expert, but when she was told that her daughter’s illness was in no way related to diet or digestion, she had trouble accepting this as fact. Although there were no support groups to turn to at the time, Mrs. Gottschall did not stop searching for a different answer. Two years after the diagnosis, physicians recommended surgery to remove part of her daughter’s colon. By that time Mrs. Gottschall had found a better answer from Dr. Merril P. Haas, a physician who had been treating a variety of digestive disorders using a diet he called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

This diet was different from any other in that it was highly selective as to the types of sugars and starches allowed. Her daughter’s condition improved quickly after starting the diet, and within two years she had completely recovered. A few years later she was even able to start eating normally without adverse consequences.

After this experience, Mrs. Gottshall wrote a book, now in its second edition and ninth printing, called “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” (available from www.amazon.com if not in your local bookstore). While explaining the diet in a mother’s terms, the book also contains more than 80 pages of delicious recipes, including an excellent one for homemade yogurt. More recipes can be downloaded from the thirteen websites listed in the book that are mostly supported by individuals whose lives were transformed by this diet.

It soon became apparent that the Specific Carbohydrate Diet could do much more than cure many cases of supposedly incurable digestive disorders. It also helped individuals with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, headaches, arthritis and other chronic disorders. In children, it helped hyperactivity as well as hypoactivity, autism, chronic constipation or diarrhea and even schizophrenia. In my opinion, for many autistic children it is a far superior option to the generally recommended gluten-free/casein-free diet even though it is not strictly casein-free.

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Many of us have been surprised and shocked in recent years to learn about the use of mercury as a preservative in infant vaccines. But what if we discovered that this is just the tip of the iceberg? Yet another disturbing reality is that industry has used fertilizer as a way to dump toxic industrial wastes laced with PCB’s, dioxins, toxic metals and more. This practice has recently received the stamp of approval from our government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The full document containing the EPA’s ruling on the matter can be found at www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WASTE/2002/July/Day-24/f18405.htm.

Although the document is fairly long, it is worth reading to grasp some of the intricacies of government thinking that can lead to the poisoning of Americans citizens. For example, the EPA goes into a detailed explanation of the difference between what they define as “sham” and “legitimate” recycling of toxic wastes. In “sham” recycling a toxic waste is simply dumped into a fertilizer. This is banned and punishable by law. In “legitimate” recycling, however, a desirable feature of the waste is identified before it is dumped, although it’s really the same waste we are talking about. For example, since zinc is desirable in fertilizers, if the toxic waste happens to contain zinc dust from an industrial process, the waste is considered acceptable and can be dumped legally.

Further into the document, the EPA claims it is powerless to limit this practice and that if it tried to do so, or made the practice more costly to industry by limiting how much poison
can be dumped this way, “such a regulatory approach would likely result in a complete elimination of hazardous secondary materials as a source of zinc to make fertilizers.” Frankly, that would be just fine with me!

Finally, the EPA points out that it received more that 1,000 communications complaining about its policy. Although the EPA is conscious of the adverse health effects of exposure to toxic chemicals, “with regard to fertilizers, much of this concern is apparently misplaced.” Of course the EPA does not quote any study to substantiate this claim, quite simply because no study was ever performed. Even though these are known poisons, for some mysterious reason it’s really OK for our fruits and vegetables to be grown in them.

As with mercury in vaccines, we have the power to put an end to this policy and I encourage all of my readers to write, e-mail or phone the EPA and your congressman to let them know what you think about their approval of growing our food in poison. This type of practice is affecting the health of every one of us, but especially our children. Today’s children are not only suffering a well-documented epidemic of autism, they are also dealing with a epidemics of cancer, ADD, ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes, asthma, skin disorders, etc. All of these conditions have in common one thing: they are caused by exposure to environmental toxins. Similar epidemics are seen in the adult population, but children are always the most vulnerable to the effects of environmental poisons. Although population statistics continue to show a trend towards longer life, most of the people now living to a ripe old age had their formative years long before today’s chemical soup was served!

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From The Institute for Health Realities

2 medium, ripe avocados
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons curry powder
fresh lemon juice
salt
white pepper
1/2 cup organic heavy cream

Halve and peel the avocados. Discard the seeds. Reserve about ? avocado. Chop the remainder coarsely and place in blender with some of the broth. Blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and stir the remaining broth and the curry powder, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool. Stir in cream and chill.

Chop reserved avocado into small chunks. Place in a bowl with lemon juice to keep from turning brown. To serve, ladle the soup into chilled soup cups. Garnish each cup with some of the cubed avocado.

Serves 5-6.

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from Patricia Kane, Ph.D.

First mix together:
2 boxes Arrowhead Mills Wheat Free Brownie mix
2 cups protein powder
1 cup organic freshly ground whole sesame, sunflower and flax seeds
1 cup organic freshly ground almonds

In another bowl mix: 4 large organic free range eggs
1cup or more rice or almond milk
1/2 cup organic cold-pressed oil

Pour liquid into dry mix and blend, adding more milk if needed to acquire the right consistency for brownies.

Add 3 cups chopped raw pecans (buy whole pecans and chop with a knife) to the combined mixture, then sprinkle some more chopped pecans on top.

Pour the mixture into an oiled 7″ by 11″ inch pan, place pan in the center of the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow brownies to cool before cutting into squares.

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from Designs For Health Weekly

1/2 cup frozen berries
1/2 cup rice or almond milk
1 to 2 teaspoon of phosphatidyl choline (this is necessary to obtain the right consistency, can be found at health food stores)
1 teaspoon xylitol (a healthy sweetener, can be found at health food stores)
1 teaspoon inositol (can be found at health food stores)

Blend until you obtain the consistency of ice cream

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We may think that studies performed at medical schools must be accurate, or at least impartial, but this may not be the case according to an article recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The article explains that The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) issues guidelines for the design of medical studies. These guidelines should assure impartiality and accuracy of medical studies and allow access to the data on which they are based. However, most medical schools routinely engage in industry-sponsored research that does not comply with ICMJE guidelines and may therefore contain hidden biases. The article appeared in the October 24, 2002 edition of the Journal (volume 347:1335-1341).

Along these same lines, a book recently recommended by Dr. Joseph Mercola, DO (see his website at www.mercola.com) is entitled “Trust Us, We’re Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles With Your Future.”

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This is the title of a book written by Harold E. Buttram, MD and Richard Piccola, MHA, and available from www.woodmed.com (telephone 1-800-517-9545). Parts of the book can be
downloaded from www.oneflesh.org/Child-TOC.html.

In Chapter 3, the authors review several human studies on the role of food additives in nutrition. In one study, the cafeterias of 803 New York schools lowered sugar and eliminated artificial colors and flavors and the preservatives BHA and BHT. Candy was replaced with fruit, popcorn and peanuts. During this study there was a 15.7% increase in academic rankings of students in these schools above the rest of the nation’s schools which used the same standardized test.

When these same changes were introduced in correctional institutions there was a 47% reduction in violence and other forms of antisocial behavior.

Chapter 4 looks at the impact that monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavoring agent, and the sweetener aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) have had on hyperactivity in children.

MSG has become one of the most widely used food additives since its development in Japan in the 1940’s. It is now also used in many baby foods and can be difficult to detect on labels as it may be simply listed as “natural food additive” or “textured protein” (this mislabeling should now stop following the introduction of a new law). Aspartame is used in most sugar-free drinks and foods.

In animal experiments MSG was shown to cause damage to the retinal cells of the eye as well as to the hypothalamus and other areas of the brain. According to Russell Blaylock, MD, a neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins, the taste that kills,” MSG and aspartame may result in a continual state of hyperexcitability as well as brain injury.

Other additives implicated in childhood hyperactivity include artificial food colorings and flavorings. Additives not implicated in hyperactivity, but of concern, include nitrites, sulfites and the synthetic antioxidants BHA and BHT. Nitrites are found in bacon and other cured meats, whereas sulfites are often added to cut fruits and vegetables to maintain their fresh appearance (since 1985 the use of sulfites has been partially banned by the FDA).

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