http://www.care2.com/greenliving/detox-your-brain-part-1.html
Detox Your Brain–Part 1
Nearly everyone is touched in some way by heart disease and cancer. Perhaps it affects a spouse, parent, family member, or friend. Perhaps we will personally experience the wrath of these diseases. The number of people affected by one of these killers is staggering. However, you may be shocked to learn that although these two primary killers will take the lives of a record number of North Americans, there is another disease that will overshadow them. Scientists predict that within thirteen years, brain disease will kill or disable more North Americans than cancer and heart disease COMBINED! In addition to the many disastrous personal and societal effects of brain disease, leading researchers estimate that the economic impact of this growing problem will be $30 billion every year.
A growing volume of research links brain disease with environmental toxins, chemicals and altered fats in our food supply, and poor lifestyle choices to brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, autism, and many others. Consider one groundbreaking study entitled, Toxic Nation: A Report on Pollution–it found that no matter where people live, how old they are or what they do for a living, they are contaminated with measurable levels of chemicals that can cause cancer, disrupt hormones, affect reproduction, cause respiratory problems or impair neurological development. Canadians tested showed high levels of industrial pollutants, including lead, mercury, DDT and PCBs. Astonishingly, the latter two have not even been in commercial use for decades. Researchers found lead and mercury in the blood of ALL the subjects of this study.
And Americans are no different. Every year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performs a study of the chemicals found in human fat tissue samples. Chemicals like DDT continue to be found in 100 percent of the tissue examined. Research links these environmental toxins with the rapidly growing incidence of brain disease.
Currently, over 100 studies show that environmental, nutritional, and lifestyle factors play a significant role in initiating or accelerating brain disease.
But there is good news: scientists also continuously prove that nutrition and lifestyle factors are able to protect the brain from damage and even reverse brain damage in some instances. New research even demonstrates that certain foods and nutrients, eaten frequently and in specific doses, can even access the brain and escort the toxins and metals out.
There are foods and herbs, which I will share in the next issue, that literally lock out brain-destroying toxins while letting in brain-building nutrients. I’ll share more information on these powerful foods, herbs, and nutrients in “Detox Your Brain–Part 2″ next week.
Adapted from The Brain Wash: A Powerful, All-Natural Program to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer’s, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression, Parkinson’s, and Other Diseases (Toronto: John Wiley & Sons, 2007)
Michelle Schoffro Cook, DNM, DAc, ROHP, RNCP is a best-selling and six-time book author and doctor of natural medicine, whose works include: The Life Force Diet, The Ultimate pH Solution, The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan. Learn more at: www.TheLifeForceDiet.com.
More from Michelle Schoffro Cook (43 articles available)
related stories
-
(6 comments)
-
(11 comments)
-
(30 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
35 comments
add your comment »The brain is such a powerful yet mysterious organ, I can see how the environment and things we eat could affect it (not scientifically of course), but as for the "detox" part of the title, there are some thing that are just a bit sketchy. brain health is brain health,and there ar things we can do to keep it healthy, but detox seems out of our control.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
The Quackwatch dude is a de-licensed doctor. Not too smart either. He's lost every court case he's been involved with because none of what he says holds water. He's ignoring the fact that what he considers "alternative" is actually practiced as medicine in the rest of the world. Don't be fooled by his nonsense.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
As for Julie's comment - please know that the guy who runs quackwatch.com is a huge supporter of allopathic medicine and has always been on that bandwagon. He talks down anything natural. (See various reports on the internet about this.) Also, I can speak from the experience of my nutritional therapy practice, when the liver is unhealthy or stressed, you don't "know it" until later when disease presents itself. You don't "feel" liver inflammation or dysfunction. So why not do what is needed to prevent it? EVERY client I see has some sort of liver/gallbladder stress. We have an epidemic of people having their gallbladders removed, which could be avoided by cleansing and detoxing their bodies. We put an enormous amount of stress on our liver and kidneys (the organs responsible for detoxing our bodies) because of the toxic world we live in and the bad foods many of us eat. The liver and kidneys can't possibly keep up. There are a lot of detox products out there as well as supplements and, like anything, you have to know what you're buying and what you're doing to detox properly and effectively. Don't listen to Quackwatch...
Kristi
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Care2, PLEASE stop being a shill for authors and supplement makers who are pushing "detox" products! By all means, stop eating processed foods and get more exercise, but your liver and kidneys probably don't need any help - if those organs are not functioning correctly, you'll know about it very quickly!
Please read: http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox.html
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Please tell me, Nate, that you did not just say "death panels". Talk about scare tactics.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
i hate it when people attempt to quantify human conditions in terms of dollars. you start doing that, and you end up with death panels trying to save money. fail.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Plus the toxic brain disesase or mind disease of war as a solution to the world's problems... and of reliance on more and more drugs to solve a war on our bodies each with its own profit and side effects...
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Interesting comments. I can see both sides since I also found this article to be a sort of teaser and a little bit of a "scare" story; but I think some people have also reacted way out of proportion. I agree with posters who said, if you need to know now, do the reserarch!
Pamela, your comment "People don't want to hear that the things that make their life easy are killing them" is spot on. In fact that relates to everything we're doing as a species that is destroying our environment and ultimately ourselves. My conservative friends prefer to live in denial and ignorance because they don't want to change their lazy, over-consumptive and destructive ways. I'm no saint, I live in the real world, but I'm always analyzing how my family lives, what we can change or do better.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
For those who are afraid to use fish oil for their Omega 3' nutrients, I reccomend Flax seed Oil, Oil of Evening Primrose, Borage Oils, and also the common "weed", known as "Purslaine"
Purslaine has been found to have a high amount of Omega 3 fatty acids and it tastes delicious in salads, etc. It also makes for a very attractive ground covering-- and it resembles Sedum-- Don't pull it out if you find it growing in your garden. Put it in pots and use as landscaping.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
wOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH for this article-- I am waiting for part II!
I had silver amalgam tooth fillings (8 of them ) for years, and I really did have symptoms related with these fillings. I suspected it for along time as I recalled as a child, having dizzy spells after each tooth filling when I was 12.
I feel there was some nuerological damage and slight brain damage from these tooth fillings-- regardless as to whether the FDA insists it is safe or not.
After having my metal fillings replaced with porcelain composite fillings, and chelating out old deposits of mercury in my sinuses and body-- I have noticed immediate improvement in short term memory. I have also noticed that I no longer have a stuttering problem-- I can speak clearly now for the first time in my life. My speech stuttering , etc, always held me back throughout my life and previous career.
It was no cooincidence that right after chelating and detoxing from mercury after my last filling was replaced that my health improved neurologically and even my immune system improved.
Don't always accept everything the FDA and pharmacuetical industries say as gospel truth. One has to really take responsibility for thier own health- and maybe they can prevent things like Alzheimers in later years.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: