Argentinian Study Finds Roundup Ingredient Causes Birth Defects

Natural Society
by Elizabeth Renter

A study out of Buenos Aires has found that glyphosate, an herbicide created by Monsanto, and used on GMO soy in Argentina, could cause birth defects in unborn children. The most interesting thing about this revelation is that the herbicide known as glyphosate in Argentina, is also known to be connected with Roundup in the U.S.

Roundup Ingredient Shown to Cause Birth Defects According to the Latin American Herald Tribune, researchers with the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research conducted the study on amphibian embryos. The lead researcher says their results are “completely comparable to what would happen in the development of a human embryo.”

“The noteworthy thing is that there are no studies of embryos on the world level and none where glyphosate is injected into embryos,” said professor Andres Carrasco, one of the lead authors of the study.

The amounts shown to cause birth defects were said to be much lower than those levels used in fumigations. However, it’s important to note that the glyphosate was injected directly into the fetuses, not administered via food products, as it would be in humans.

Still, it’s possible, because our food feeds our cells, which in turn would feed an embryo, that digestion of foods containing the chemical would have similar, though perhaps not as dramatic effects. And of course this isn’t the only time glyphosate and Monsanto’s Roundup has been shown to cause birth defects.

GMO soy is Argentina’s leading crop. They are the world’s third largest exporter, and they use between 180 and 200 million liters of glyphosate annually. In agricultural regions, where the spraying of this Monsanto chemical is common, numerous cancers have shown up that are being associated with it.

A district called Ituzaingo, outside of Cordoba, has seen about 300 cancer cases in the last eight years. This district houses only about 5,000 people.

“In communities like Ituzaingo it’s already too late, but we have to have a preventative system, to demand that the companies give us security frameworks and, above all, to have very strict regulations for fumigation, which nobody is adhering to out of ignorance or greed,” said Carrasco.

Carrasco, and others, are calling on the government of Argentina to fund more in-depth research into the effects of glyphosate on humans. He says, “The companies say that drinking a glass of glysophate is healthier than drinking a glass of milk, but the fact is that they’ve used us as guinea pigs.”

Eight Reasons Why Spraying Pesticides is Not the Solution to West Nile Virus

Before Its News
by Rebecca Watson

How much of a risk is West Nile Virus (WNV)? To some extent, only time will tell. But public health experts stress that there is no cause for fear and panic, or for panic driven "solutions." In fact, the so-called "solution" of spraying pesticides to kill mosquitoes will actually lead to bigger problems. Here are eight compelling reasons why spraying pesticides is not the answer to WNV.

1. Least Effective Measure
The US Center for Disease Control and other experts say that spraying or fogging is the least effective means for slowing the spread of WNV carrying mosquitoes. For fogging to have maximum effect, a mosquito has to be flying. Estimates are that fogging kills only about 10% of adult mosquitoes. The federal-provincial task force on WNV admits there is little evidence for the efficacy of insecticide spraying. Adult mosquitoes live only about two weeks, with new larvae hatching constantly. This means that spraying cannot be a one shot operation, but needs to be repeated frequently if chosen as a means of control .

2. Predators Harmed, Mosquitoes Thrive
Aerial spraying or fogging is more harmful to mosquito predators than to mosquitoes. Since predators are farther up the food chain, they will take in higher amounts of pesticide. By decreasing mosquito predator populations, aerial spraying actually leads to increases in mosquito populations. Data from a study in New York State published in the Journal for Mosquito Control found that after 11 years of insecticide spraying, the mosquito population had increased 15 times. Pesticide exposure also results in immune suppression in birds, which serve as the hosts for WNV. Birds exposed to organophosphate pesticides tend to suffer immune suppression (as do mammals, amphibians and other animals.) This makes them less able to fight off viral and bacterial infections, the very opposite of what is needed. Once infected with WNV, birds are more likely to develop symptoms and to remain ill longer than if they had not been exposed. Thus, pesticide spraying leads to more frequent and longer infections and higher viral loads in birds, making it more likely they will spread the disease to mosquitoes. This increases the possibility of mosquitoes transmitting the virus to humans and other mammals.

3. Super Mosquitoes, Sicker Mosquitoes
For some reason, as yet unknown, mosquitoes exposed to pesticides are more likely to have WNV in their salivary glands and develop a damaged gut lining which becomes more porous, allowing WNV to pass through. Over a decade of insecticide spraying to control encephalitis in Florida has not been effective, and mosquitoes are now 15 times more likely to pass on the disease. Mosquitoes, which have short life spans, go through many generations in a single year. The mosquitoes which are exposed to pesticides and survive are more likely to develop resistance to them. So aerial spraying contributes to the development of "super mosquitoes" which can only be killed by using higher amounts or different types of pesticides.

4. Immediate Human Health Effects
Immediate health effects on humans from exposure to sprayed pesticides are considerable. A letter from 26 prominent physicians and scientists in Quebec released last summer states, "Indiscriminate spraying of pesticides, especially in heavily populated urban areas, is far more dangerous to human health and the natural environment than a relatively small risk of West Nile Virus.... Ironically, such spraying is especially dangerous to those with impaired immunity for whose 'protection' such spraying is mainly being done. ..Those individuals who are most vulnerable in this chemical action against mosquitoes include children, pregnant women, the elderly, chemically sensitive and immuno-suppressed individuals, such as patients with AIDS and cancer, and people suffering with asthma and other allergies." Organophosphates are the most common class of pesticides used in mosquito control sprays. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they are "efficiently absorbed by inhalation, ingestion and skin penetration" and were "the class of pesticides most often implicated in symptomatic illnesses among people in 1996."

5. Long Term Health Effects
Pesticides used in mosquito control can contribute to immune suppression in humans. A report from the World Resources Institute notes, "Impairment of the immune system by chemical pesticides can lead to allergies, auto immune disorders such as lupus, and cancer. It may also lead to infections to which one may be normally resistant." People with weakened immune systems are the most vulnerable to WNV. Thus, in the long term, aerial spraying may actually increase the number of people who become seriously ill from WNV. And immune system suppression has serious implications for other diseases as well, including SARS.

Malathion, Naled and Resmethrin are pesticides commonly used in mosquito control. Malathion, an organophosphate, is neurotoxic. It is the most common pesticide used in aerial spraying. In studies on rats, pesticides were shown to impair the blood-brain barrier. In humans, the more serious effects of WNV occur when the virus crosses the blood-brain barrier. Malathion, like all members of the organophosphate family, disrupts nervous system function. Besides causing headaches, nausea and diarrhea, it has been linked to gene damage causing attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Other heath hazards identified in laboratory studies include damaged sperm, altered immune function, increased incidence of breast tumors, and increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Naled is another organophosphate which disrupts nervous system function, also causing headaches, nausea and diarrhea. Naled is most toxic when exposure occurs by inhalation. Lab tests connected exposure to Naled's breakdown product, dichlorvos, to aggressiveness and deterioration of memory and learning. Dichlorvos is also classified as a carcinogen, and interferes with prenatal brain development.

Resmethrin is considered by the World Health Organization as a "neuropoison." Its effects on the human nervous system are similar to its effects in insects. Lab studies on rats showed that Resmethrin interfered with reproduction, increasing numbers of stillborns even at the lowest exposure tested.

6. Long Term Environmental Effects
Most of the pesticides presently used for mosquito control do not selectively target mosquitoes. Malathion, Naled and Resmethrin kill all insects. This includes hundreds of beneficial insect species that pollinate crops and keep pests under control. Malathion is known to contaminate water, and is classified as highly toxic to most species of fish. In 1999, 90% of adult lobsters in Long Island Sound were killed by malathion used on land. Fish kills in the thousands have been reported following mosquito spraying. Since some species of fish feed on mosquito larvae, this is doubly counterproductive. Other organisms that feed on mosquito larva are also killed. Bird populations are also threatened. According to New York State wildlife pathologist Ward Stone, more of the birds sent to his unit for examination in 2000 died from pesticides than from WNV. Among the more frequent causes of bird death were broad band insecticides from the organophosphate category such as Dursban, diazinon and ethylparathion. Organophosphates used in mosquito control add harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the atmosphere, and are precursors of ozone (smog) forming chemicals. This means they are contributors to global warming.

7. Keep Risk in Perspective
While the image of a new killer virus from the tropics is scary and makes for good media material, public health experts at all levels are attempting to help people put WNV in perspective. West Nile Virus is less dangerous than the flu. Only 1% of mosquitoes carry the WNV, even in places where WNV has been common for years. Because of our climate, the virus is not expected to overwinter, but would likely be reintroduced each year through bird migration. Less than 1% of people bitten by infected mosquitoes will have any symptoms, and most of those will be equivalent to a one day flu or headache. Studies in New York when WNV was most widespread found thousands of people who tested positive for WNV but had never experienced any symptoms of illness. People bitten by infected mosquitoes, even those who experience no symptoms, will develop a lifetime immunity to the disease. In Africa and Europe, the virus occurs in cycles, with typically three years of human infections in late summer, with the majority of infections in the first year of a cycle. Then the virus fades into the background, and may not reappear for many years. In Africa, WNV is a childhood disease; adults have developed immunity.

8. Taking a Long-term Approach
WNV may be one of a number of tropical diseases which will spread to our geo- graphic area with global warning. Instead of panic and sensationalism, we need a rational, long term problem-solving approach which is healthy for humans and the environment. Reducing mosquito breeding sites (standing water), known as source control, is the most effective mosquito control method. Since adult mosquitoes seldom travel more than 1 kilometer, source control in a neighborhood can be extremely effective and quite non-toxic. Experts stress the value of source controls such as mechanical flushing of sewer catch basins, and introduction of dragonfly larvae in nearby ponds and lakes. These methods have been practiced with great success in Wells, Maine for 26 years. Maintaining healthy mosquito predator populations is an important part of a mosquito control strategy. Eliminating mosquito larvae, through predators and biological means and if absolutely necessary via pesticides, is far more effective than trying to kill adult mosquitoes. And ultiimately, the most effective defense against WNV is a healthy ecosystem and a healthy immune system in humans, birds and other species.

Suicide by Sandwich? 12 Reasons to Banish Bread

Grassfedgirl

In May 2012 I attended the Low Carb Cruise featuring cardiologist Dr. William Davis. The cruise was a great experience where I got to hang out with many leaders in the health and wellness field. Dr. Davis is the NY Times bestselling author of Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health which outlines how wheat is contributing to many health conditions including diabetes, cancer and obesity. Dr. Davis even overcame his own Type 2 diabetes diagnosis by changing his diet. The following are some of the reasons your daily bread, cereal and pasta are ruining your health. According to Dr. Davis “eating more healthy whole grains” is ineffective, fattening, and downright destructive.

All types wheat (including whole wheat) have a high glycemic index (GI), which can increase your glycemic load and create Type 2 diabetes over time. Amylopectin A is a complex carbohydrate that is broken down quickly in the mouth and can raise blood sugar more than 6 teaspoons of sugar. Eating just two slices of whole wheat bread will raise blood sugar more than a Snickers bar.

Amylopectin A is a starch in wheat that triggers an increase of dangerous small LDL particle formation which is low density cholesterol that can get clog blood vessels. A diet high in carbohydrates such as bread will create too much small dense LDL.

Wheat has gliadin which is an addictive opiates that stimulates our appetite throughout the day and impairs our ability to say no to high carbohydrate foods. These exorphins cause food obsession and unbearable hunger.

Genetic manipulations were used in the 1970′s to create a high-yield, short and stocky strain of wheat which creates an agricultural Frankengrain. These changes to the plant altered the amino acid profile, meaning the wheat of today has totally different effects on our delicate digestive systems than the grains of early agricultural times.

Wheat consumption stimulates an excess of female hormones in men which reduces testosterone, creating male breasts and erectile dysfunction.

Amylopectin A is a starch in wheat that sets off a vicious cycle of deep abdominal belly fat and hormone havok. Extra belly fat makes inflammatory chemicals that promote estrogen dominance which increases cancer risk in men and women. Wheat is hidden in most boxed foods to stimulate appetite to keep us coming back for more.

After the introduction of agricultural products like wheat, about 10,000 years ago, human health declined. Early agricultural people showed signs of cavities, short stature, poor facial structure, and lowered bone density when compared to traditional hunter-gather cultures.

Seemingly nutritious wheat germ and sprouted wheat has lectins, which are poisons that keep humans from digesting the seed. These lectins cause significant damages and irritation in the small intestine over time.

Wheat germ agglutinin found in the wheat kernels unlocks the tight barriers of the small intestine letting undigested food into the bloodstream increasing the risk for autoimmune conditions such as MS, Lupus, Chrohn’s, and Hashimoto’s thyroid disease.

Fiber can be abundantly and easily obtained from fruits, vegetables and nuts. Wheat and other grains can cause constipation, the opposite effect most people are seeking from fiber.

Wheat consumption can interfere with the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin in the small intestine creating depression, rage and anxiety in many people.

Bonus tip:

Long term ingestion of wheat can cause heartburn because food ferments and expands in the stomach. This undigested food pushes acid into the esophagus. Wheat also neutralizes important digestive enzymes in the stomach delaying the assimilation process, which creates more discomfort.

Swine to Human Transmission Not Supported By USDA Data

Recombinomics

Overall, 73 H3N2 positive submissions were detected in FY2011 (October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011) and 138 in FY2012 from October 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012. 57 Of the 138 H3N2 cases identified in FY2012 and tested to date contain the pandemic M gene and were classified as H3N2pM.

The above USDA update from the CDC website confirms that the bulk of the USDA data has already been made public at Genbank and the discordance between the human and swine sub-clades in circulation in FY2012 does not support swine to human transmission.

As seen in the above numbers, as well as larger collections described at the CDC site, most swine influenza is not H3N2 and most H3N2 does not have the H1N1pdm09 M gene. However, of greater significance is the number of isolates (57) with H1N1pdm09 M gene in recent collections (FY2012). In this collection period the CDC has released 45 sets of sequences with the H1N1pdm09 M gene (which is heavily weighted with H3N2pM isolates).

Thus, sequences from only 12 H3N2pM have not been made public, and these sequences are likely either non-matches or recent, and therefore of little significance in the analysis since the number of reported human cases exploded in July, and swine isolates from that time period may have been due to human to swine transmission.

Although there are 45 H3N2pM sequences collected in FY2012, only 19 of these sequences have HA and NA sequences that match the human cases from 2011/2012 and only 2 of the 19 match the 2012 human cases (see list below). Thus, the widespread H3N2v in swine cited by the CDC per USDA are largely matches with the human sub-clade from 2011 and none of the 2012 human cases match this sub-clade.

In contrast, the 20 most recent human sequences, which were all collected in FY2012, match the 2 cases with N2 from a swine H3N2 lineage. This discordance is even more dramatic for the most recent isolates from Indiana and Ohio. Since March 2012 there have been 9 swine isolates and 8 of the 9 match the sub-clade in last year’s human cases. Moreover 8 of these 9 collections were from Indiana or Ohio.

Thus, of the 8 most recent isolates from Indiana and Ohio, only one matches the human 2012 cases, while the seven that match the 2011 cases, but have not produced any reported human cases in 2012.

Therefore, the CDC claim of USDA support for swine to human transmission is refuted by the public data, which represents the key data generated by the USDA.

The only real support for the CDC position is their heavily biased sample collection which creates a link with swine because testing is largely limited to samples collected from patients with swine exposure.

TURMERIC SPICES UP VIRUS STUDY

Science Blog

The popular spice turmeric packs more than just flavor — it shows promise in fighting devastating viruses, Mason researchers recently discovered.

Curcumin, found in turmeric, stopped the potentially deadly Rift Valley Fever virus from multiplying in infected cells, says Aarthi Narayanan, lead investigator on a new study and a research assistant professor in Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases.

Mosquito-borne Rift Valley Fever virus (RVF) is an acute, fever-causing virus that affects domestic animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, as well as humans. Results of the study were publishedthis month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. “Growing up in India, I was given turmeric all the time,” says Narayanan, who has spent the past 18 months working on the project. “Every time my son has a throat infection, I give (turmeric) to him.”

There’s more work to do before curcumin-based pharmaceuticals become commonplace, Narayanan emphasizes. She plans to test 10 different versions of curcumin to determine which one works the best. She also intends to apply the research to other viruses, including HIV.

Narayanan has long wanted to explore the infection-fighting properties of turmeric, in particular its key component, curcumin. “It is often not taken seriously because it’s a spice,” she says.

But science is transforming the spice from folk medicine to one that could help a patient’s body fight off a virus because it can prevent the virus from taking over healthy cells. These “broad-spectrum inhibitors” work by defeating a wide array of viruses. “Curcumin is, by its very nature, broad spectrum,” Narayanan says. “However, in the published article, we provide evidence that curcumin may interfere with how the virus manipulates the human cell to stop the cell from responding to the infection.” Kylene Kehn-Hall, a co-investigator on the study, adds, “We are very excited about this work, as curcumin not only dramatically inhibits RVFV replication in cell culture but also demonstrates efficacy against RVFV in a mouse model.”

Narayanan and her colleagues study the connection between a virus and how it impacts the host — human or animal. Symptoms clue in the researcher about the body’s inner workings. Rift Valley Fever and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis kick off with flu-like symptoms.

Symptoms can make it challenging for someone to recover. The body usually starts with an exaggerated inflammatory response because it doesn’t know where to start to rid itself of the virus, she says.

“Many times, the body goes above and beyond what is necessary,” Narayanan says. “And that’s not good because it’s going to influence a bunch of cells around the infection, which haven’t seen the bug. That’s one way by which disease spreads through your body. And so it is very important to control the host because a lot of times the way the host responds contributes to the disease.”

Controlling the symptoms means more than simply making the patients feels better. “You’re giving the antiviral a chance to work. Now an antiviral can go in and stop the bug. You’re no longer trying to keep the host alive and battling the bug at the same time.”

Once Narayanan knows how the body responds to a virus, it’s time to go after the bug itself.

She’s applying this know-how to a family of viruses called Bunyaviruses, which feature Rift Valley fever, and such alphaviruses as Venezuelan equine encephalitis and retroviruses, which notably include HIV.

She delves into uncovering why and how each virus affects the patient. “Why are some cell types more susceptible to one type of infection than another?”

HIV goes after the immune system. Bunyaviruses will infect a wide range of cells but do maximum damage to the liver. “What is it about the liver that makes it a sitting duck compared to something like the brain?” Narayanan asks.

Ultimately, curcumin could be part of drug therapies that help defeat these viruses, Narayanan says.

“I know this works. I know it works because I have seen it happen in real life,” Narayanan says. “I eat it every day. I make it a point of adding it to vegetables I cook. Every single day.”

Other Mason researchers involved in the study are Charles Bailey, Ravi Das, Irene Guendel, Lindsay Hall, Fatah Kashanchi, Svetlana Senina and Rachel Van Duyne. Several researchers from other institutions also collaborated.

CDC False Statements On Swine H3N2v Matches Raise Concerns

Recombinomics


"Human infections with an influenza A (H3N2) variant (H3N2v) virus that contains the M gene from the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus (2009 H1N1 pandemic virus) were first detected in 2011. Notably, a large increase in cases of H3N2v virus infection has been identified since July 2012. (This virus has been circulating among pigs in the U.S. since 2011, has been detected in pigs in many states, and appears to be circulating widely in swine in the U.S.)"

The above comments from the CDC H3N2v August 10, 2012 update for physicians are false. The H3N2v that has increased in humans since July 2012 has not been circulating in many states and data supporting wide circulation is clearly lacking. The July 2012 H3N2v sequences from cases matches the earlier sequences from Utah in March, as well as the West Virginia cases in November and December, 2011. The H3N2v detected in many states has not been reported in a human since November, 2011.

The CDC claims represent pseudoscience and raise serious concerns about the CDC’s abiity to analyze its own data. Moreover, false statements, such as those in the physician’s update are accepted as evidence that the latest H3N2v cases are due to H3N2 jumping from swine to humans, even though the swine distribution supports the jumping of H3N2v from humans to swine.

The H3N2v detected in the initial human cases has not been identified in any swine isolate collected prior to the first human case in July 2011. A recent Journal of Virology paper, "The evolution of novel reassortant A/H3N2v influenza virus in North American swine and humans, 2009-2011", described 674 MP sequences from swine collections from 2009-2010, as well as 388 HA and NA sequences from these isolates. The extensive survey of USDA public sequences as well as a large series generated by the authors of the paper, identified one match with the H3N2v identified in the first 10 human cases in 2011. This isolate, A/swine/NY/A01104005/2011, was from a September 17, 2011 and was initially noted in November, 2011.

More recently released sequences identified additional matches. However, the earliest matches, A/swine/Iowa/A01202529/2011 and A/swine/Iowa/A01202530/2011, were collected on August 22, 2011 which followed the first human case, A/Indiana/08/2011, which was from July, 2011.

Thus, the extensive USDA surveillance failed to identify any examples of the matching H3N2v in swine prior to the first human case.

Subsequent sequences identified a total of 24 swine isolates from 6 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New York, Ohio, and Texas) which matched (based on HA, NA, MP sequences) the H3N2v from the first 10 human cases. However none of the 2012 human H3N2v cases, including the sequences from July collections from four outbreaks in three states (Hawaii, Indiana, Ohio), matched the constellation in the 24 swine isolates above (or the first 10 reported human cases in 2011). The July, 2012 H3N2v sequences matched a novel constellation (with an N2 from H3N2 swine), first identified in a large human cluster in at a West Virginia day care center, where the confirmed cases had no swine contact or exposure.

This novel sub-clade has only been identified in two swine isolates from samples collected prior to the July, 2012 cases. These two isolates, A/swine/North Carolina/A01203272/2012 and A/swine/Indiana/A01203509/2012, were collected in 2012, well after the West Virginia cluster from November and December cases.

The absence of any human 2012 cases which match the swine sequences described by the CDC cast serious doubt on the CDC position of swine H3N2 jumps to humans are a major cause of human cases, and instead supports the jump of human H3N2v into swine, leading to widespread detections in swine that follow novel constellations or sequences in humans.

Thus, the false statements by the CDC to physicians and the media continues to raise pandemic concerns and highlights the need for an independent investigation into the ability of the CDC to analyze its sequence data and convey those results to decision makers and the public.

Related: CDC Cites Recent Human H3N2v Transmission
CDC Cites Recent Human H3N2v Transmission
Sustained Efficient Human Community Spread of H3N2v
DARPA demonstrates quick vaccine development for hypothetical pandemic

Natural birth — but not C-section — triggers brain boosting proteins

Yale News
By Karen N. Peart

Vaginal birth triggers the expression of a protein in the brains of newborns that improves brain development and function in adulthood, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers, who also found that this protein expression is impaired in the brains of offspring delivered by caesarean section (C-sections).

These findings are published in the August issue of PLoS ONE by a team of researchers led by Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of the Department of Comparative Medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

The team studied the effect of natural and surgical deliveries on mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in mice. UCP2 is important for the proper development of hippocampal neurons and circuits. This area of the brain is responsible for short- and long-term memory. UCP2 is involved in cellular metabolism of fat, which is a key component of breast milk, suggesting that induction of UCP2 by natural birth may aid the transition to breast feeding.

The researchers found that natural birth triggered UCP2 expression in the neurons located in the hippocampal region of the brain. This was diminished in the brains of mice born via C-section. Knocking out the UCP2 gene or chemically inhibiting UCP2 function interfered with the differentiation of hippocampal neurons and circuits, and impaired adult behaviors related to hippocampal functions.

“These results reveal a potentially critical role of UCP2 in the proper development of brain circuits and related behaviors,” said Horvath. “The increasing prevalence of C-sections driven by convenience rather than medical necessity may have a previously unsuspected lasting effect on brain development and function in humans as well.”

Related: Ucp2 Induced by Natural Birth Regulates Neuronal Differentiation of the Hippocampus and Related Adult Behavior