How The Microbiome Destroyed The Ego, Vaccine Policy, And Patriarchy

The relatively recent discovery of the microbiome is not only completely redefining what it means to be human, to have a body, to live on this earth, but is overturning belief systems and institutions that have enjoyed global penetrance for centuries.

A paradigm shift has occurred, so immense in implication, that the entire frame of reference for our species’ self-definition, as well as how we relate fundamentally to concepts like “germs,” have been transformed beyond recognition. This shift is underway and yet, despite popular interest in our gut ecology, the true implications remain unacknowledged.

It started with the discovery of the microbiome, a deceptively diminutive term, referring to an unfathomably complex array of microscopic microorganisms together weighing only 3-4 lbs. in the average human, represents a Copernican revolution when it comes to forming the new center, genetically and epigenetically, of what it means in biological terms to be human.

Considering the sheer density of genetic information contained within these commensals, as well as their immense contribution towards sustaining basic functions like digestion, immunity, and brain function, the “microbiome” could just as well be relabeled the “macrobiome”; that is, if we are focusing on the size of its importance rather than physical dimensionality.

For instance, if you take away the trillions of viruses, bacteria and fungi that coexist with our human cells (the so-called holobiont), only 1% of the genetic material that keeps us ticking, and has for hundreds of millions of years, remains. One percent isn’t that much for the ego to work with, especially considering it now has to thank what were formerly believed to be mostly “infectious agents” for the fact that it exists. Even more perplexing, the remaining 1% of our contributed DNA to the collective gene pool of the holobiont is at least 8% retroviral (yes, the same category as HIV) in origin!

Us Against Them?

Once the object of modern medicine’s fundamental responsibility – the human body – is redefined and/or perceived with greater veracity, and “germs” become less other and more self, a challenge for germ theory which seeks to differentiate between the “good” germs we are versus the “bad” ones out there that we must fight with antibiotics and vaccines.

As many readers are already poignantly aware, today’s political climate and agenda is unilaterally pro-vaccination on both sides of the aisle (conveniently funded by the same industry lobbyists), with a tidal wave of bills across the U.S. set to eliminate exemptions against mandatory vaccination. The rationale, of course, is that deadly germs can only be prevented from killing the presumably germ-free host through injecting dead, weakened or genetically modified germ components to “prevent” theoretical future exposures and infection. This concept is of course intellectually infantile, and if you do some investigating you’ll find it was never quite grounded in compelling evidence or science.

But the intellectual implications of the microbiome go even deeper than undermining germ theory, vaccine policy, and the culture of medical monotheism that upholds these constructs…

Maternal Origins of Health and Ultimately our Species Identity

Deep within the substratum of humanity’s largely unquestioned assumptions of what it means to be human, the microbiome has also fundamentally displaced a latent patriarchal prejudice concerning the relative importance and contribution of the man and woman towards the health and ultimately the continuation of our species.

It has been known for some time that only women pass down mitochondrial DNA, already tipping the scales in favor of her dominant position in contributing genetic information (the seat of our humanity or species identity, no?) to offspring. The microbiome, however, changes everything in favor of amplifying this asymmetry of hereditary influence. Since we are all designed to gestate in the womb and come through the birth canal, and since the neonate’s microbiome is therein derived and established thereof, it follows that most of our genetic information as holobionts is maternal in origin. Even when the original colonization eventually changes and is displaced through environmentally-acquired microbial strains as the infant, child, adolescent, and then adult, develops, the original terrain and subsequent trajectory of changes was established through the mother (unless of course we were C-sectioned into the world).

Put in simpler terms: if 99% of what it means to be human is microbiome-based, and if the mother contributes most, if not all, of the original starting material, or at least the baseline and trajectory of future changes in the inner terrain, then her contribution becomes vastly more important than that of the father.

Moreover, the conditions surrounding gestation (important because of maternal-to-fetal microbiome trafficking in utero), her general health, and the way in which she gives birth (home, birth center, or hospital) now take on vastly greater importance than previously imagined. In other words, being born in a hospital via C-section and vaccination, will produce, genetically and epigenetically, a human that is so different – qualitatively – from one born at home, naturally, that they could almost be classified as different species, despite sharing nearly identical eukaryotic DNA (remember, only 1% of the holobiont’s total).

Given this perspective, obstetric interventions are the archetypal expression of a male-dominated paradigm that seeks to manage a woman’s birth experience with largely unacknowledged consequences for the health of our species. Protecting health and preventing disease has now been traced back to the origins of the microbiome, best expressed through natural birth in the home, which has been estimated to be as much as 1,000 times safer than a hospital birth despite propaganda to the contrary.

In light of the new, microbiome-based view, the male role in protecting the health of women and children will be irrevocably downgraded in importance, not just professionally and medically, but biologically.  First, it is interesting to look at the ancient roots of the biology-based psychospiritual disparities that exist between men and women, and which still influence today’s practice of medicine.

It would appear that men have from the beginning of time envied the creative role of women in conception, pregnancy, birth and caretaking. Erich Fromm also described the pyschospiritual implications for men of this biologically-based existential disparity in terms of the phenomena of womb-envy, exemplified by the biblical passage where God takes a rib from Adam to “create” Eve – an obvious reversal of the natural order of things, reflecting the inherent impotence men feel knowing their creative potency is secondary importance. It has been said, rightly, that the most powerful thing in the universe is to create life (is this not why we attribute this to “God”), and the second most powerful thing to take it. It is no coincidence that history, since it’s inception as recorded, is largely a documentation of the history of wars, of men “creating meaning” by killing men, and establishing symbol systems intended to capture by proxy the creative power latent within every woman’s body and experience.  And so, 10,000 years later, the world ruled by monotheistic, male-principled religious and cultural systems, both in secular and religious form, it seems that the facts of our biology are now intervening to shake up these largely subconscious belief systems in favor of an ancient truth: women are superior to men, fundamentally. (Though it is not a type of superiority to be used against the “weaker sex”: men, rather but to denote a higher responsibility, and perhaps greater need to be supported by men to get the job done, together, as inscribed in the natural order of things and its inherent design.)

The birth process, also, has been described as the closest thing to death without dying (it is ironic that anesthesiology, which could also be described in the same way, makes obstetrical interventions like C-section and epidural possible, at the same moment that it negates the spiritual experience of natural birth/women’s empowerment we are describing), offering women a window into the ‘in between’ and a direct experience of Source that men, less likely to experience it naturally would later emulate and access through the various technologies of shamanism.

Clearly, protecting the microbiome is of utmost importance if we are making the health of our future generations a priority. Indeed, ensuring the health of our offspring is perhaps the most fundamental evolutionary imperative we have.  How do we accomplish this? What is the microbiome but ultimately a selective array of commensal microorganisms that ultimately originated from the environment: in the air we breath, the soil we interact with, and the water and food, of course, we ingest. This means we can’t simply live in a hermetically sealed bubble of shopping for organic, non-GMO certified foods at Whole Foods, while the entire planet continues to go to post-industrial hell in a hand basket.  Our responsibility becomes distributed across everything in the world, and every impactful choice then becomes relevant to the fundamental issue and imperative at hand. With the microbial biodiversity in Big Ag, GM-based agricultural zones fire-bombed with biocides, by the very same corporations that either own or distribute the “organic brands” we all love to think will save our bodies, if not the planet, we need to step deeper into our activism by stepping out of the diversions and palliative measures that don’t result in lasting change.

When we work with the natural world, when we honor and acknowledge what is unknown about the complex web that we all share, we will bring back a vital health that now seems so far out of reach. When we engage technologies positioned in the war against germs and organisms, however, we are doomed to fail and to cripple not only our species but our home.

© November 9, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post How The Microbiome Destroyed The Ego, Vaccine Policy, And Patriarchy appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

How The Microbiome Destroyed The Ego, Vaccine Policy, And Patriarchy

The relatively recent discovery of the microbiome is not only completely redefining what it means to be human, to have a body, to live on this earth, but is overturning belief systems and institutions that have enjoyed global penetrance for centuries.

A paradigm shift has occurred, so immense in implication, that the entire frame of reference for our species’ self-definition, as well as how we relate fundamentally to concepts like “germs,” have been transformed beyond recognition. This shift is underway and yet, despite popular interest in our gut ecology, the true implications remain unacknowledged.

It started with the discovery of the microbiome, a deceptively diminutive term, referring to an unfathomably complex array of microscopic microorganisms together weighing only 3-4 lbs. in the average human, represents a Copernican revolution when it comes to forming the new center, genetically and epigenetically, of what it means in biological terms to be human.

Considering the sheer density of genetic information contained within these commensals, as well as their immense contribution towards sustaining basic functions like digestion, immunity, and brain function, the “microbiome” could just as well be relabeled the “macrobiome”; that is, if we are focusing on the size of its importance rather than physical dimensionality.

For instance, if you take away the trillions of viruses, bacteria and fungi that coexist with our human cells (the so-called holobiont), only 1% of the genetic material that keeps us ticking, and has for hundreds of millions of years, remains. One percent isn’t that much for the ego to work with, especially considering it now has to thank what were formerly believed to be mostly “infectious agents” for the fact that it exists. Even more perplexing, the remaining 1% of our contributed DNA to the collective gene pool of the holobiont is at least 8% retroviral (yes, the same category as HIV) in origin!

Us Against Them?

Once the object of modern medicine’s fundamental responsibility – the human body – is redefined and/or perceived with greater veracity, and “germs” become less other and more self, a challenge for germ theory which seeks to differentiate between the “good” germs we are versus the “bad” ones out there that we must fight with antibiotics and vaccines.

As many readers are already poignantly aware, today’s political climate and agenda is unilaterally pro-vaccination on both sides of the aisle (conveniently funded by the same industry lobbyists), with a tidal wave of bills across the U.S. set to eliminate exemptions against mandatory vaccination. The rationale, of course, is that deadly germs can only be prevented from killing the presumably germ-free host through injecting dead, weakened or genetically modified germ components to “prevent” theoretical future exposures and infection. This concept is of course intellectually infantile, and if you do some investigating you’ll find it was never quite grounded in compelling evidence or science.

But the intellectual implications of the microbiome go even deeper than undermining germ theory, vaccine policy, and the culture of medical monotheism that upholds these constructs…

Maternal Origins of Health and Ultimately our Species Identity

Deep within the substratum of humanity’s largely unquestioned assumptions of what it means to be human, the microbiome has also fundamentally displaced a latent patriarchal prejudice concerning the relative importance and contribution of the man and woman towards the health and ultimately the continuation of our species.

It has been known for some time that only women pass down mitochondrial DNA, already tipping the scales in favor of her dominant position in contributing genetic information (the seat of our humanity or species identity, no?) to offspring. The microbiome, however, changes everything in favor of amplifying this asymmetry of hereditary influence. Since we are all designed to gestate in the womb and come through the birth canal, and since the neonate’s microbiome is therein derived and established thereof, it follows that most of our genetic information as holobionts is maternal in origin. Even when the original colonization eventually changes and is displaced through environmentally-acquired microbial strains as the infant, child, adolescent, and then adult, develops, the original terrain and subsequent trajectory of changes was established through the mother (unless of course we were C-sectioned into the world).

Put in simpler terms: if 99% of what it means to be human is microbiome-based, and if the mother contributes most, if not all, of the original starting material, or at least the baseline and trajectory of future changes in the inner terrain, then her contribution becomes vastly more important than that of the father.

Moreover, the conditions surrounding gestation (important because of maternal-to-fetal microbiome trafficking in utero), her general health, and the way in which she gives birth (home, birth center, or hospital) now take on vastly greater importance than previously imagined. In other words, being born in a hospital via C-section and vaccination, will produce, genetically and epigenetically, a human that is so different – qualitatively – from one born at home, naturally, that they could almost be classified as different species, despite sharing nearly identical eukaryotic DNA (remember, only 1% of the holobiont’s total).

Given this perspective, obstetric interventions are the archetypal expression of a male-dominated paradigm that seeks to manage a woman’s birth experience with largely unacknowledged consequences for the health of our species. Protecting health and preventing disease has now been traced back to the origins of the microbiome, best expressed through natural birth in the home, which has been estimated to be as much as 1,000 times safer than a hospital birth despite propaganda to the contrary.

In light of the new, microbiome-based view, the male role in protecting the health of women and children will be irrevocably downgraded in importance, not just professionally and medically, but biologically.  First, it is interesting to look at the ancient roots of the biology-based psychospiritual disparities that exist between men and women, and which still influence today’s practice of medicine.

It would appear that men have from the beginning of time envied the creative role of women in conception, pregnancy, birth and caretaking. Erich Fromm also described the pyschospiritual implications for men of this biologically-based existential disparity in terms of the phenomena of womb-envy, exemplified by the biblical passage where God takes a rib from Adam to “create” Eve – an obvious reversal of the natural order of things, reflecting the inherent impotence men feel knowing their creative potency is secondary importance. It has been said, rightly, that the most powerful thing in the universe is to create life (is this not why we attribute this to “God”), and the second most powerful thing to take it. It is no coincidence that history, since it’s inception as recorded, is largely a documentation of the history of wars, of men “creating meaning” by killing men, and establishing symbol systems intended to capture by proxy the creative power latent within every woman’s body and experience.  And so, 10,000 years later, the world ruled by monotheistic, male-principled religious and cultural systems, both in secular and religious form, it seems that the facts of our biology are now intervening to shake up these largely subconscious belief systems in favor of an ancient truth: women are superior to men, fundamentally. (Though it is not a type of superiority to be used against the “weaker sex”: men, rather but to denote a higher responsibility, and perhaps greater need to be supported by men to get the job done, together, as inscribed in the natural order of things and its inherent design.)

The birth process, also, has been described as the closest thing to death without dying (it is ironic that anesthesiology, which could also be described in the same way, makes obstetrical interventions like C-section and epidural possible, at the same moment that it negates the spiritual experience of natural birth/women’s empowerment we are describing), offering women a window into the ‘in between’ and a direct experience of Source that men, less likely to experience it naturally would later emulate and access through the various technologies of shamanism.

Clearly, protecting the microbiome is of utmost importance if we are making the health of our future generations a priority. Indeed, ensuring the health of our offspring is perhaps the most fundamental evolutionary imperative we have.  How do we accomplish this? What is the microbiome but ultimately a selective array of commensal microorganisms that ultimately originated from the environment: in the air we breath, the soil we interact with, and the water and food, of course, we ingest. This means we can’t simply live in a hermetically sealed bubble of shopping for organic, non-GMO certified foods at Whole Foods, while the entire planet continues to go to post-industrial hell in a hand basket.  Our responsibility becomes distributed across everything in the world, and every impactful choice then becomes relevant to the fundamental issue and imperative at hand. With the microbial biodiversity in Big Ag, GM-based agricultural zones fire-bombed with biocides, by the very same corporations that either own or distribute the “organic brands” we all love to think will save our bodies, if not the planet, we need to step deeper into our activism by stepping out of the diversions and palliative measures that don’t result in lasting change.

When we work with the natural world, when we honor and acknowledge what is unknown about the complex web that we all share, we will bring back a vital health that now seems so far out of reach. When we engage technologies positioned in the war against germs and organisms, however, we are doomed to fail and to cripple not only our species but our home.

© November 9, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post How The Microbiome Destroyed The Ego, Vaccine Policy, And Patriarchy appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

NIH Supported Journal Publishes Landmark Study Linking Fluoride to Low IQ

Increased levels of prenatal fluoride exposure have been linked to lower intelligence in children, according to the results of a new study.

In the eye-opening new peer-reviewed study, published on September 19, 2017, in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found strong evidence of a link between fluoride and lower cognitive function in children.

With an impact factor of 9.78, Environmental Health Perspectives is one of the most highly ranked journals in Toxicology, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Environmental Sciences.

The researchers found that “higher levels of maternal urinary fluoride during pregnancy (a proxy for prenatal fluoride exposure) that are in the range of levels of exposure in other general population samples of pregnant women as well as nonpregnant adults were associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function in the offspring at 4 and 6–12 y old,” according to the study.

The study involved 1,576 samples taken from over 300 sets of mothers and children in Mexico by a research team from Toronto. The researchers tested the children’s cognitive development twice over the course of 12 years. In Mexico, Fluoride is not added to public water supply, but people are exposed through naturally occurring fluoride in water, toothpaste, fluoridated salt and other supplemental products.

“Childhood exposure to fluoride is safer than prenatal. There is pretty good science now to support the fact that the fetal system tends to be more sensitive to environmental toxicants than once the child is born,” said the study’s lead author, Howard Hu, founding dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, according to CNN.

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The authors of the study looked for chemical markers in the urine of mothers and children, as previous studies attempted to measure fluoride exposure by analyzing environmental factors, such as water.

“Since we’re using an integrated biological marker, it will give you a fairly standardized measure,” Hu explained.

Interestingly, the study found significant effect – with an increase in urine fluoride of 1mg/l being associated with a 5 to 6 point drop in IQ score. For perspective, the average fluoride intake in Mexican mothers was roughly the same as that of women in the United States.

“The range of fluoride levels in Mexico also corresponded closely to the range found in most of the USA. The higher levels were similar to what is found in areas in the USA with fluoridated water, and the lower levels were similar to what is found in most unfluoridated parts of the USA,” according to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN).

According to a report by FAN:

Most of the Mexican women had urine fluoride between 0.5 and 1.5 mg/L. Studies have found that adults in the USA have between about 0.6 and 1.5 mg/L, almost exactly the same range. From the low end of that range to the high end is a difference of 1 mg/L which is what caused the 5 to 6 IQ point difference in the children of the study mothers.

The study found a drop in scores on intelligence tests for every 0.5 milligram-per-liter increase in fluoride exposure beyond 0.8 milligrams per liter found in urine. However, although the researchers found a potential connection to a child’s exposure to fluoride in utero, they found no significant influence from fluoride exposure on brain development once a child was born.

The study reveals the relationship between urine fluoride and IQ in the graph reproduced here:

READ MORE:  Study Shows Brits Have Way Better Teeth than Americans - And Far Less Fluoride in the Water

FAN has recreated the graph in simplified form to more clearly illustrate the relationship between mothers’ urine fluoride and children’s IQ.

This simplified version of the graph highlights the range of urine fluoride levels common in women in the USA with the blue text and bracket. When comparing mothers at the low end to those at the high end of this range, the subsequent loss of IQ in their children was 6 points. The light red shaded zone around the relationship line is the 95% Confidence Interval and demonstrates that the relationship is statistically significant across the entire range of fluoride exposures.

This is not the first time fluoride has been shown to act as a neurotoxin.

“There have been similar findings related to exposure to fluoride and IQ from children in China. So this observation or association has been reported before,” Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, told CNN. Birnbaum was not involved in the study.

In 2012, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) working in conjunction with China Medical University in Shenyang conducted a meta-analysis of 27 related studies published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The report noted that “fluoride may adversely affect cognitive development in children,” adding “children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas.”

Following up on the original findings, the Harvard cooperative team found “fluoride in drinking water may produce developmental neurotoxicity.”

“Results of our pilot study showed that moderate and severe dental fluorosis was significantly associated with deficits in WISC-IV digit span. Children with moderate or severe dental fluorosis scored significantly lower in total and backward digit span tests than those with normal or questionable fluorosis. These results suggest a deficit in working memory,” according to the Harvard cooperative study.

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While some of the Chinese studies were unable to control for other potential neurotoxins such as lead or mercury, giving it less validity, the new Mexican study controlled for those two neurotoxins, along with socioeconomic status, education and numerous other factors.

“This is a very well-conducted study, and it raises serious concerns about fluoride supplementation in water,” Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a pediatrician who studies potential links between environmental exposures and health problems at New York University Langone Health, told Newsweek. (He was not involved in the new study.)

It seems clear that pregnant women should stay away from fluoride, as it appears to clearly and significantly affect the neurological development of their children in utero, and the rest of the population would likely be wise to do the same given the numerous studies critical of fluoride.

Please share this important information — and especially with anyone you know who is pregnant!

Natural Solutions for Constipation During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is tough. You’re exhausted, bloated, nauseous, broken out, and your feet and ankles are so swollen that they look like a hot water bottle with toes. As if creating life wasn’t enough of a challenge, over half of pregnant women must also contend with a backed up bowel. Constipation is likely to strike during the first and third trimesters, and it can last for weeks if you’re not proactive.

A lot of strategies to support gut health are tricky, but fortunately for you, constipation during pregnancy doesn’t have to be one of them. But before we get to the fix, let’s first tackle why you can’t go in the first place.

Causes of Constipation During Pregnancy

Constipation affects women at a higher rate—about twice that of men. As many as 38% of women experience it during pregnancy.^[1] There are several possible causes of occasional constipation.

Shifts in Hormones

During the first trimester, the hormonal changes in your body produce noticeable effects. Higher levels of one particular hormone, progesterone, cause your involuntary muscles to relax. These smooth muscles envelop your digestive organs and push food through your system on schedule.^[2]

But the trouble begins when the muscles surrounding your intestines become a little too relaxed. Instead of pushing things along as they should, they let digested food sit. As progesterone increases, your levels of motilin decrease. Motilin is the hormone that tells your involuntary muscles to contract. Low levels increase the time that digested food spends languishing in your intestines.^[2]

Increased estrogen may be another influence on your experience in the bathroom. This hormone also slows contractions in the muscles of the gut.^[3]

Increased Water Needs

Water is essential to healthy fetal development. It not only helps your blood carry nutrients to both you and your baby, but it also helps remove waste products from the two of you, as well. Your blood volume increases by 50% over the course of pregnancy, so you have to steadily boost your water intake as your pregnancy progresses.^[4] But even though you’re drinking so much water that you need to urinate every half hour, you might still be dehydrated. How can you still be short on water?

Due to the growing need for water during pregnancy, your intestines may pull more water out of the digestive tract than they did before you were pregnant. This leaves you with stool that’s difficult to pass under normal circumstances, but even worse when your intestines are on vacation.^[5]

Baby Weight

During the later stages of pregnancy, your baby bump doesn’t just get in the way of the steering wheel. A growing baby can also put pressure on your colon, preventing it from doing its business. As your pregnancy progresses, your organs shift around to make room for your baby. Most of your vital organs compress upward toward the ribs, while your baby occupies the abdominal area. For some moms-to-be, this leads to third-trimester constipation.

Prenatal Vitamins

Ultimately, it could be that your prenatal vitamin regimen is leaving you in a bind. Most doctors prescribe a prenatal vitamin to ensure that both mom and baby are getting enough of the essential nutrients they need. It’s important to take these as directed so that your baby develops normally. Many expecting mothers also take an iron supplement to support their body’s increased need and production of blood. Unfortunately, many iron supplements can lead dysbiosis and slow intestinal emptying. If you’re not taking a gentle, plant-based option, it could be the cause of the blockage. Speak with your doctor about switching to Iron Fuzion™. It’s an all-natural, plant-based iron supplement that’s formulated with whole organic foods like curry leaves, echinacea, and thyme. Since plants naturally contain fiber, Iron Fuzion won’t leave you high and dry unlike mineral- and animal-based iron supplements.

Foods That Cause Constipation

You may be eating foods that can cause constipation. Fast food, refined sugar, and meat leave you backed up because these foods provide very little fiber. Some unexpected dietary causes of constipation include chocolate, unripe bananas, and caffeine. Evaluate your diet to see if you’re eating these culprits and replace them with whole, high-fiber options like berries or oatmeal.

Solutions for Constipation During Pregnancy

With precious cargo onboard, most doctors advise natural, nontoxic solutions to get things moving again. But that doesn’t mean spending more time on the toilet trying to move the immovable. Straining on the toilet can lead to hemorrhoids or even anal fissures. You don’t want to push, but you can make things a little easier on your colon by trying a few of the tips listed below.

Eat More Vegetables

Whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and seeds all contain fiber which helps bulk up your stool to make it easier to push through. Many foods have a natural laxative effect. Beans are an excellent option, but if your stomach is iffy with legumes, I recommend adding chia and flax seeds to your diet. They naturally absorb water, forming a gel-like layer around the seeds so that they can add some much-needed moisture to your stool.

Throw two or three tablespoons of chia or flax into your morning oatmeal. Use them to add a little more texture to your salads. You can even soak chia seeds overnight in juice. If you’re feeling adventurous, put three tablespoons of chia seeds in a shaker bottle with a few ounces of prune juice and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight, and in the morning you’ll have a fiber-filled snack that’ll help you go. Just make sure to give it a good shake to separate the seeds.

Go for a Walk

While getting around requires some logistical planning for many women close to term, a little exercise can work wonders. Many doctors recommend low-impact exercise like swimming, going for a short walk, or light stretching. Even pacing around the house can help your bowels unload their cargo. Talk to your doctor about other ways to be more active.

Drink More Water

When trying to calculate your water needs, you’re going to need to do a little math. Divide your body weight in half and add 40 to calculate the number of ounces of water you need to drink when you are pregnant. So if you’re 150 pounds and pregnant, you need to drink about 115 ounces of water a day when you’re close to term.^[6] That’s just shy of a gallon, but don’t fret if that sounds like an overwhelming amount of water. There’s no need to flood your system with that much water if you just found out you’re pregnant. You have months to work up to that amount as your baby grows.

Moving Onward and Outward

These tips should help you propel things forward, but if you still find yourself unable to find relief in the privy, you can also try some of these laxative foods. Look to your diet and lifestyle first for solutions, especially during critical periods of your life like pregnancy. Always check with your doctor or midwife before making any significant changes to your diet or routine.

Do you have a helpful suggestion that I missed? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us!

References (6)

1. Verghese, T., Futaba, K., and Latthe, P. “Constipation During Pregnancy.” TOG Obsattrician and Gynaecologist Mar 2015.


2. Trottier, Magan, Aida Erebara, and Pina Bozzo. “Treating constipation during pregnancy.” Canadian Family Physician 58.8 (2012): 836–838. Web.


3. Oh, Ji-Eun., et al. “Estrogen Rather Than Progesterone Cause Constipation in Both Female and Male Mice.” The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology : Official Journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology 17.5 (2013): 423–426. PMC. Web. 13 July 2017.


4. Soma-Pillay, Priya., et al. “Physiological Changes in Pregnancy“. Cardiovascular Journal of Africa 27.2 (2016): 89–94. PMC. Web. 13 July 2017.


5. Arnaud, M.J. “Mild Dehydration: A risk for constipation?” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Dec;57 Suppl 2:S88-95.


6. “How to calculate how much water you should drink.” Let’s Talk Total Rewards. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2017.

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Prenatal Exposure to Flame Retardants Linked With Lower IQ in Children

A report in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives reveals that prenatal exposure to flame retardants may lead to lower IQ test scores in children. Further, the more of the chemicals a pregnant woman is exposed to, the more likely she is to give birth to a child with lower intelligence. [1]

In the meta-analysis, researchers calculated that every tenfold increase in exposure to flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was associated with a 3.7 point decline in kids’ IQ test scores.

Based on that calculation, PBDEs are even more detrimental to fetuses than lead – every tenfold increase in the neurotoxin is associated with “just” a 7-point decline in IQ scores, by comparison.

Study co-author Tracey Woodruff said:

“Even the loss of a few IQ points on a population-wide level means more children who need early interventions, and families who may face personal and economic burdens for the rest of their lives.” [2]

The meta-analysis summarizes and evaluates the full collection of relevant research on the safety of PBDEs. Ten of the studies the researchers included show a link between flame retardants and intelligence.

The team analyzed an additional 9 studies that searched for an association between exposure to flame retardants and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Juleen Lam, an associate research scientist at the University of California San Francisco, said the 9 papers don’t provide enough evidence of a connection between the chemicals and ADHD. [1]

However, the link between flame retardants and intelligence is undeniable, according to Lam.

“The evidence strongly suggests that PBDEs are damaging kids’ intelligence.”

Knowing this, Lam said, children should be protected from these chemicals to “prevent intelligence loss.”

She added:

“We’re really seeing this as a wake-up call to policymakers.”

Researchers are trying to tease out how PBDEs lower intelligence. So far, the evidence suggests the chemicals impair the activity of the endocrine system, the body’s systems of hormone-producing glands which play a role in the body’s circadian rhythm, sexual development, metabolism, and other functions. When a woman is pregnant, her endocrine system heavily influences the development of her fetus’ brain.

Read: Common Flame Retardant Chemical Found to Cause Brain Damage

There are multitudinous types of PBDEs, and several of them have already been banned in the United States. Most new furniture doesn’t contain those chemicals, said Arlene Blum, a scientist with the Green Science Policy Institute, who wasn’t involved in the study.

Nevertheless, Woodruff, a professor at UCSF, said that “everyone is exposed to PBDEs, so this means that there are potentially millions of IQ points that are lost across the population.” Moreover, “children can be affected for generations to come.” [2]

Banned But Still Prevalent

Source: Environmental Working Group

Another study led by Hurley, published in March, 2017, showed a gradual plateau in bodily levels of flame retardants – even an increase in some people. Hurley believes that’s likely because as people have disposed of or incinerated their old furniture, PBDEs have made their way into the environment. [1]

Now, Hurley theorizes, the chemicals are getting into the food supply, as old furniture and foams containing PBDEs have been tossed into landfills or incinerated, causing the chemicals to leach into runoff and/or spewed into the air.

Whether or not flame retardants actually make fires less deadly is up for debate. Bryan Goodman, a spokesman for the industry group American Chemistry Council, said that flame retardants help save lives by providing individuals with a critical layer of fire protection. He added that “the major manufacturers of flame retardants have spent millions of dollars on research both before and after their products go on the market.”

Read: How To Avoid Toxins In Flame-Retardant Household Products

Source: Environmental Working Group

However, some past studies seemed to suggest that flame retardants actually give rise to toxic fumes. Ami Zota, an environmental health scientist at George Washington University who studies flame retardants but wasn’t involved in the paper, said their efficacy is “not really backed up by well-supported data.”

Sources:

[1] Newsweek

[2] U.S. News & World Report

Environmental Working Group

Environmental Working Group

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7 Ways To Protect Your Placenta

Not many women consider the health of their placenta a top priority when they become pregnant, as many choose to focus solely on the health of the baby. This is by no means a bad choice, but the health of your placenta is just as important to the health of your baby as taking prenatal vitamins, getting enough rest, and avoiding things like caffeine and cigarettes.

Protecting Your Placenta: Things You Can Do

Many women unknowingly endanger their unborn babies by exposing themselves to several substances, sometimes on a daily basis. New studies have suggested that the wrong combinations of bacteria can even lead to premature births. ^[1] Some of these substances include receipt paper, antibacterial soaps, and more.

1. Avoid BPA, and Even BPA-Free Items

All of us, by now, are sure to know about the dangers BPA can cause, but what about those replacements for BPA? ^[2] BPF and BPS, commonly used to replace BPA in BPA-free products, are just as dangerous as BPA, if not more so. They’re wrong; both of these are linked with neurodevelopmental issues. Things like BPA, BPS, and BPF can be carried across the placenta to your baby. ^[3] Studies suggest that pregnant women should avoid both plastic and receipts, if at all possible, for the health of their unborn babies.

2. Limit Exposure to Flame Retardants

Many things we use every day contain toxic flame retardants that pose threats to us and our children. Fire safety is always a top priority, but should we value that over near-constant exposure to toxins that affect neurological development? ^[4] With these kinds of threats almost completely ubiquitous in everyday life, taking precaution to safeguard your unborn child against flame retardants is even more important. Common sources of flame retardants are furniture, clothing, and car seats.

3. The Placenta Might Not Protect Against Lyme Disease

By now we know that certain foods and beverages a pregnant mother consumes will be passed onto the baby in some form, but can you really pass along diseases, too? The placenta acts as gateway and all kinds of bacteria are able to traverse that gateway. Unfortunately, we can now add the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to that list. A woman lived with undiagnosed Lyme disease for over three decades and gave birth to her daughter whilst affected by the disease. ^[5] Her daughter has had a host of issues all her life due to this undiagnosed disease she obtained while in the womb of her mother.

4. Antibacterial Soaps Can Harm the Placenta

Some people might be wary of antibacterial soaps because of the fact that they kill bad bacteria, but they also kill the good bacteria, too. Now there is another reason to avoid antibacterial soap: triclosan. Triclosan is an ingredient used in antibacterial soaps that have seen a lot of press in recent years. The FDA had this to say on the matter: “Further, some data suggest that long-term exposure to certain active ingredients used in antibacterial products could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects.” ^[6] While they also say that it is “not known to cause hazardous effects,” the long-term effects of triclosan exposure could be devastating, especially for a newborn baby.

5. Balance Your Good:Bad Bacteria Ratio

While we’re on the subject of bacteria, let’s talk about harmful bacteria that can affect your baby if it travels through the placenta. Many studies are now being conducted to discern how much effect the microbiome of the placenta can have on the baby. ^[7] Once thought sterile, new evidence has shed light on the placenta and the bacteria that inhabit it. According to research, the amount of harmful toxins and bacteria pregnant women are exposed to will affect the overall health of the placenta and the overall health of the baby. ^[8] The best thing expectant mothers can do is to balance their good:bad bacteria ratio in their gut by taking a high-quality probiotic. Always consult with your doctor before taking any supplement during pregnancy.

6. Reduce Mercury Exposure

More than half a century ago, Minamata, Japan, was devastatingly affected by a severe mercury leak. ^[9] In 1956, there had been documented cases of a strange illness that befell people and animals in the town. Because of the way it made the cats who contracted it twitch, many called it “The Dancing Disease.” It was only later than scientists discovered that the mercury leak caused increases in neurological issues and even many cases of cerebral palsy, especially as a congenital disease for children born in or around 1956 in the town. In order to avoid mercury during pregnancy, don’t consume fish or high-fructose corn syrup, and do not receive any mercury amalgams.

7. Be Safe with Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices

The final threat the placenta and your baby face are drugs that you take which can affect your baby’s overall health. It’s known that whatever drugs you have in your system at term or near full term will be transmitted to your baby, but did you know that this also happens with drugs you take as early as your first trimester? Perhaps more than harmful drugs, you must ensure a safe and healthy environment for your baby during the developmental stages. Even though studies have shown that babies were affected in the womb by the mother’s drug use, those same studies suggested that, with the proper attention and education, these children would perform regularly in comparison to healthy children. ^[10]

Protect Your Placenta–Protect Your Baby

The health of your unborn baby is at the top of the list for every expecting mother and father, so there’s never such a thing as “too careful.” Avoid plastics, flame retardants, and high levels of mercury to ensure the health of your baby stays intact. Again, before taking any supplement, including probiotics, be sure to consult with your doctor.

References:

1. Grady, Denise. Study sees bigger role for placenta in newborn’s health. New York Times. 2014.


2. Vandenburg, Lara and Wendy Hessler. BPA crosses the placenta, remains active in the fetus, show rat and human studies. Environmental Health News. 2010.


3. EHN staff. New study suggests ‘universal fetal exposure’ to BPA. Environmental Health News. 2013.


4. Alderman, Nancy. Forum: Risk from flame retardant exposure often outweighs risk from fire. Middletown Press. 2015.


5. Lavelle, Marianne. Catching Lyme disease in the womb? Daily Climate. 2014.


6. Howard, Brian Clark. Avoid antibacterial soaps, say consumer advocate. National Geographic. 2013.


7. Biospace.com. Placenta Harbors Harmful Bacteria, May Impact Fetal Health, Baylor College of Medicine Study. Biospace.com. 2014.


8. Nierenberg, Cari. How environmental toxins harm women’s reproductive health. Live Science. 2013.


9. Kessler, Rebecca. The Minamata Convention on mercury: A first step toward protecting future generations. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2013.


10. Fitzgerald, Susan. Crack baby’ study ends with unexpected, but clear result. Phill.com. 2013.

7 Things Expecting Mothers Need To Know

Maybe you’re a new mother and are expecting a new bundle of joy. Of course, you want to make sure things are just right for your baby, and part of that starts with the choices you make right now. Making sure you are limiting (or preferably avoiding altogether) toxic exposure is a great first step. One avenue to consider is traffic pollution. Cutting that out of your life completely might not be practical, but there’s recent evidence that suggests it could be harming your unborn child. In fact, women who are exposed to high traffic pollution during the second trimester are at a greater risk of giving birth to a child with fragile lungs. ^[1][2]

7 Things to Watch Out For

Unfortunately, today’s world is rife with toxic contaminants, and traffic pollution is just one thing you need to reduce when expecting. Here are 7 more things for you to think about during your pregnancy and beyond.

1. Watch Out for Household Chemicals

Found in many common products, triclosan is a pretty nasty endocrine disruptor that could be harming your baby. ^[3] The germ-killer triclocarban—found in some bar soaps—is also a concern. While it’s not completely clear what these endocrine disruptors can do, studies have linked triclosan to liver cancer, and more children are being exposed to both of these toxins in the womb. ^[4]

     2. Beware of BPA and BPS Products

Used in lots of plastic goods, BPA is bad news for the endocrine system, and its substitute BPS really isn’t much better. You probably get more BPA exposure than you think from those thermal receipts that are so popular nowadays, and if a company uses BPS…well, they can label that item as BPA-free. Pregnant women might want to be especially wary of endocrine disruptors, since a recent study suggests both BPA and BPS could cause “real and measurable changes in the development of a brain region that plays a key role in fear, impulse-control, obesity and early puberty.” ^[5] It’s also a smart idea to check with your hospital about the BPA status of medical equipment. ^[6]

3. Phthalates Can Harm Your Baby’s IQ

A recent report suggests children exposed to high-levels of phthalates in the womb are more likely to have lower IQs—possibly by as much as seven points. ^[7] One of the researchers commented a drop like that could have a significant impact on academic achievement. But, unfortunately, phthalates are all around us. One of the toxins (di-n-butyl phthalate) could even be used in pill coatings. ^[8] So while avoiding exposure might be impossible, reducing it definitely can’t hurt.

4. That Glass of Red Wine Might Not Be as Safe as You’ve Been Told

Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant in red wine that’s said to do everything from combat obesity to help with heart disease. Just one glass of red wine can’t hurt, right? Well, recent evidence suggests this ‘health food’ in a glass could damage your unborn baby’s pancreas. Just keep in mind, however, that what might be healthy for the mother may not be that great for the developing fetus. ^[9]

5. A New Nursery Can Be the Source of Harmful Toxins

When waiting for your new arrival, your instinct is to create the perfect nursery. Often, that could involve installing new flooring, but a recent study suggests that might not be the best idea. ^[10] Toxins like styrene and ethylbenzene can be used in carpet glue and in laminate. We know these toxins are bad news, but they can be even worse for developing lungs—both before and after birth—potentially causing wheezing and other breathing problems.

6. Antidepressants Can Cause Autism

While you should never just stop taking your medication without a doctor’s consent, a recent study suggests a pregnant woman’s use of antidepressants could slightly increase the risk for autism in her child. ^[11] These findings are still new and more research is needed, but the trick for researchers will be balancing the mental health of mother and child. The good news, though, is taking prenatal vitamins could reduce the autism risk by half. ^[12]

     7. Don’t Let Your Kid Put Toys in Their Mouth

While 6 phthalates are banned in children’s toys in the U.S., unbanned—and sometimes even banned—ones can show up in toys. Studies reveal that early exposure to phthalates can harm male reproduction and influence early puberty. ^[13] One study found higher than legal limits of lead and chromium in certain toys. So, for health’s sake, make sure to keep those toys away from little mouths.

One Final Thought

Toxins can be such a danger to our children; unfortunately, many doctors don’t talk about these things with new and expecting mothers, so you need to educate yourself. Let this be one step towards learning as much as you can about what toxins can potentially harm your baby.

Do you want to know more for your baby’s sake? Please feel free to leave you thoughts or questions in the comments.

References:

1. Morales, E. et al. Intrauterine and early postnatal exposure to outdoor air pollution and lung function at preschool age. Thorax. 70.


2. Sly, P. D. Traffic-related air pollution: an avoidable exposure to improve respiratory health. Thorax. 70.


3. Pycke, B. F. et al. Human fetal exposure to triclosan and triclocarban in an urban population from Brooklyn, New York. Environmental Science & Technology. 48 (15).


4. Dinwiddie, M., Terry, P. & Chen, J. Recent Evidence Regarding Triclosan and Cancer Risk. International Journal of Environmental Responsibility and Public Health. 11 (2).


5. Kinch, C. et al. Low-dose exposure to bisphenol A and replacement bisphenol S induces precocious hypothalamic neurogenesis in embryonic zebrafish. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (5).


6. Mallow, E. B. & Fox, M. A. Phthalates and critically ill neonates: device-related exposures and non-endocrine toxic risks. Journal of Perinatology. 34.


7. Factor-Litvak, P. et al. Persistent Associations between Maternal Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates on Child IQ at Age 7 Years. PLOS ONE.


8. Kelley, K. et al. Identification of Phthalates in Medications and Dietary Supplement Formulations in the United States and Canada. Environmental Health Perspectives. 120 (3).


9. Roberts, V. et al. Beneficial and cautionary outcomes of resveratrol supplementation in pregnant nonhuman primates. FASEB. 28 (6).


10. Franck, U. et al. Prenatal VOC exposure and redecoration are related to wheezing in early infancy. Environment International. 73.


11. Harrington, R. et al. Prenatal SSRI Use and Offspring With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Developmental Delay. Pediatrics.


12. Schmidt, RJ. Prenatal vitamins, one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism. Epidemiology. 22 (4).


13. US Public Interest Research Group. Trouble in Toyland. US Public Interest Research Group.