Dr. David Minkoff’s Health Blog

Optimum Health Report #306

Hazardous pesticide handled by a masked worker
09 Aug

In This Edition:

Take Your Daily Greens!

Are you taking your daily greens? You should be!

See the video below to know why. This new BodyHealth product is available at LifeWorks so ask about it next time you are in.

Is Your Baby Toxic from Environmental Chemicals?

by Jeffrey Dach MD

There is alarming news from the University of California about toxic chemicals in virtually all pregnant women. Tracey Woodruff found 163 different chemicals in pregnant women including banned Flame Retardants and DDT. A previous 2004 study showed 287 toxic chemicals in babies cord blood samples. How do we avoid it and what can we do about it?

Tracey Woodruff found 163 different toxic chemicals in pregnant women (1-9).
Here is the partial list:

  1. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
  2. organochlorine pesticides, (DDT)
  3. perfluorinated compounds (PFCs),
  4. polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs),
  5. phthalates
  6. perchlorates

Banned Chemicals Dangerous to Health – Flame Retardants and DDT

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant chemicals now banned in many states. DDT is a pesticide banned in the United States since 1972. (1-9)

Image: Pouring pesticides on the farm courtesy of wikimedia commons. This ends up in our bodies.

287 Different Toxic Chemicals in the Baby

A 2004 study showed 287 toxic chemicals in babies cord blood. Ten random samples of newborn umbilical cord blood from the Red Cross showed 287 environmental chemicals. (10-14).

Baby2Here is a partial list of 287 toxic chemicals in the baby:

  • Mercury in all samples at 0.947 (ppb).
  • PAH – Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) 285 parts per trillion (ppt). (gasoline)
  • PBDB- Polybrominated dibenzodioxins 55.9 ppt. flame retardants
  • PFC- Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) Scotchguard fabric protectants, Teflon.
  • OC- Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) 18,600 ppt. –DDT, banned in 1972.
  • PBDE- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) 6,420 ppt. flame retardant
  • PCN- Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) wood preservatives.
  • PCB- polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) banned in 1976

PolarbeararcticcircleMeet the most Contaminated Animal on the Planet

No Place to Run – Toxic Contamination in the Arctic Circle

You might think polar bears are safe from industrial pollution. You might think there are pristine places on the earth like the Arctic Circle that represent a safe haven from the chemicals. Perhaps we can run away and avoid this toxic chemical soup. Nope, think again. Arctic polar bears are the most contaminated on the planet thanks to a bio-magnification effect as we go higher up in the food chain.(15) The toxic chemicals get more concentrated as we trace it from insect to fish to polar bear fat stores. Toxic chemical laden wildlife are food staples for the native Inuit peoples of the Arctic Circle resulting in high levels of PCB contamination.(16)

Inuit People of the Arctic – Health Effects of Toxic Contamination

Eskimofamily2Arctic Inuit women consume 14 times the tolerable intake of chlordane, toxaphene, PCBs and other pesticides causing infertility, stillbirths and birth defects. Many of the children have compromised immune systems with increased cases of otitis media that leave them hearing impaired.(17-22)

What’s going on in the Neighborhood – Thyroid Problems

Long term studies of contaminants in human milk were done in Sweden over 30 years finding a recent increase (doubling over 5 years) of banned PBDEs (used as a fire retardant) (23) This chemical contains bromine and is toxic to the thyroid gland.(24-26)

Hormonal Disruption

Volumes of research over decades have now fully documented the hormonal disruption of pesticides in wild-life and humans (27-31) Certain fruits and vegetables are higher in pesticide exposure and are to be avoided, or use organic. (32) Even though the toxic pesticides such as DDT, Lindane, Eldrin etc. have been banned in the US, they continue to be manufactured and exported to developing countries. 108,000 metric tons of banned pesticides were exported from the U.S. to developing countries from 1992 to 1994. (33) Global pesticide use has been increasing about 1% per year in step with population growth, also about 1% per year.(35)

Neurotoxicity

In addition to the thyroid and hormonal disruption, other studies have shown that organochloride pesticides cause neurotoxicity. (36)

The Politics of Pollution – Chemical Industry Lobby vs. The People

President Bush “Rolls Back” and Dismantles Environmental Protection

You might ask why we have such deplorable chemical pollution of the adornment, wildlife and the bodies of our children? Where is the regulatory oversight of the chemical industry? The answer is that regulation was dismantled under the Bush administration in order to placate the demands of the chemical industry for less regulation and more profits. Here is a list of the 100 worse “rollbacks” of environmental protection by the Bush administration.

Killed – The Toxic Substances Control Act – TSCA

In the first half of 2010, the chemical industry spent 40 million on lobbying , effectively killing the toxic chemical reform bill in Congress. “Despite overwhelming public support for stronger laws on toxic chemicals, Congress has heeded the aggressive opposition of chemical industry lobbyists rather than the support of the American electorate and failed to pass TSCA reform legislation three times in the last six years. However, the battle will continue at the federal level in 2011, with new TSCA reform bills expected to be introduced.” Quoted from healthychild.org

If you want to save the environment from toxic chemicals, you have to fight the chemical industry lobbyists. Call your congressman in support of the TSCA bill.

Addendum 3/9/15: The Case for Banning Glyphosate

Will Richmond Reject Monsanto’s Roundup? The Case for Banning Glyphosate February 2015 By Jeff Ritterman, M.D., Truthout.

Glyphosate, the Monsanto’s Round-Up herbicide commonly used on GMO soy called “Round-up Ready Soy” has been implicated in birth defects and spontaneous abortions by upregulating the Vitamin A pathway in embryos. Glyphosate also causes DNA damage, and increases cancer incidence. Glyphosate afects the Shikimate pathway which kills of gut bacteria. Peasant farmers in Central America, Sri Lanka and India exposed to Glyphosate develop chronic toxic kidney disease and kidney failure. See this article: Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11(2), 2125-2147; Hypothesis Glyphosate, Hard Water and Nephrotoxic Metals: Are They the Culprits Behind the Epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in Sri Lanka? Channa Jayasumana , Sarath Gunatilake and Priyantha Senanayake February 2014.

Gylphosate is a heavy metal chelating agent which forms complexes which damage the renal tubules. Both El Salvador and Sri Lanka have banned glyphosate.

This is Part One of a series

Jeffrey Dach MD: http://www.jeffreydachmd.com

Ask Dr. Springer

If you would like to ask Dr. Springer a question, please send it in an email to webmaster@bodyhealth.com and mark the subject line Dr. Springer.

This week’s question: “I’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and told there is little I can do but “live with it”. Can you help?”

My LifeWorks Sucess Story

“In just 3 weeks I’ve experienced noticeable improvement. I’d done my due diligence, but still I’m amazed! The staff in the IV room manage to be fun, welcoming and ever pleasantly entertaining at times while still maintaining professionalism and running the department like a well-oiled machine.

So far LifeWorks Wellness Center and the IV room have exceeded my expectations. Looking forward to more progress.

Thank you!”
-Carolyn. W.

LifeWorks’ Practitioners Host Two Free Talks in August

Dr m

Ask the Doctor

Thursday, August 18, @ 6:30pm

With Dr. David Minkoff at Nature’s Food Patch

Bring your medical questions to be answered by one of this country’s top MDs, specializing in alternative health. Dr. Minkoff will advise on natural solutions to any condition, from cancer, to Lyme disease to toxicity and beyond.

Nature’s Food Patch is located at 1225 Cleveland St, Clearwater.

The Gut and Its Hidden Impact on the Body (pic of Jen)

Jen 8 2015 squareThursday, August 25, @ 7:00pm

With Jennifer Baer ARNP at Abby’s Health & Nutrition

The gastrointestinal system is often referred to as the second brain. Jennifer will describe why this is, how the body is impacted, and the importance of taking care of this system for long-term health and longevity.

Abby’s is located at 14374 N Dale Maybury Hwy, Tampa, 33618

My LifeWorks Success Story

“After over 8 years, I am finally feeling Terrific!! Both, the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic said there was nothing wrong. I knew there was….

Finally being diagnosed with Lyme and treated with ozone IV therapy has been a true Blessing!!

The IV room staff and LifeWorks have been wonderful and I am so thankful to have a life again!!

I truly appreciate all the wonderful work LifeWorks does to help patients who are very ill and without hope! It’s been a miracle! A gift to have renewed life again!

Thank you!!”

-Joanna. M

 

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About Dr. David Minkoff, Medical Director

Dr. David Minkoff graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1974 and was elected to the “Phi Beta Kappa” of medical schools, the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Medical Fraternity for very high academic achievement. He then completed both a Pediatric Residency and a Fellowship in Infectious Disease at the University of California at San Diego. He worked at the University of California and Children’s Hospitals in San Diego as an attending physician in infectious disease while conducting original research on Ribaviron, a broad spectrum anti-viral agent to fight disease. He also co-directed a neo-natal intensive care unit and worked in emergency medicine. In 1992, Dr. Minkoff’s wife Sue, a Registered Nurse, became interested in nutrition and health and began to go to lectures from some of the experts in the field. At the time, Dr. Minkoff was pretty fixed in his view of traditional medicine and it took a lot of convincing to get him to come to one of these lectures. After hearing Dr. Jeffrey Bland speak, Dr. Minkoff had a eureka moment and began pursuing the alternative field with a vengeance. Based on this new knowledge Dr. Minkoff and his wife set up a small clinic in 1997 to help some friends with their medical problems. What began as an experiment blossomed into Lifeworks Wellness Center, one of the most successful clinics for complementary medicine in the United States. In the process, he gained expertise in Biological medicine, integrative oncology, heavy metal detoxification, anti-aging medicine, hormone replacement therapy, functional medicine, energy medicine, neural and prolotherapy, homeopathy, and optimum nutrition. He studied under the masters in each of these disciplines until he became an expert in his own right. Dr. Minkoff is one of the most in-demand speakers in the field and wrote an Amazon best-selling book called The Search For The Perfect Protein. The demand for the products and protocols he discovered became a catalyst for founding BodyHealth.Com, a nutrition company that now manufactures and distributes cutting-edge nutritional solutions for the many health problems of today. Dr. Minkoff writes two free online newsletters, “The Optimum Health Report” and ”The BodyHealth Fitness Newsletter”, to help others learn about optimum health and fitness. Dr. Minkoff is an avid athlete himself and has completed 43 Ironman Triathlons. To keep his fitness maximal, he lives the lifestyle he teaches to others and tries to set an example for others, so they can enjoy a life free of pain and full of energy.

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