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Organic Insider

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Study Links Pesticides in Water to Food Allergies

Just the other week, I wrote about a California farming community that MUST buy bottled water because the tap water is so polluted from pesticides and other contaminants.

Well, the news about the horrid quality of our drinking water continues.

Trying to figure out why food allergies have exploded over the past 20 years, a team of researchers published a study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology which said that there is a relationship between the use of a group of pesticides called dichlorophenols and food allergies.

TIME Magazine explained that the study’s participants who had high levels of dichlorophenols in their bodies were 80% more likely to have food sensitivity than those with lower levels, and the authors believe the exposure to the chemicals may be contributing to a hyper-sensitive immune system that recognizes even common food proteins as foreign.

What these dichlorophenols are doing is killing bacteria in the water, and our bodies do not build up resistance to this and other bacteria, which are considered foreign invaders.

Hence, when these and other organisms enter our bodies, including some food, our immune system is not accustomed to them, treats them as foreign invaders, and has an allergic reaction to them. (And, yes, GMOs are foreign invaders and are not found in nature.)

Some doctors in TIME Magazine have concluded that our lack of exposure to bacteria in urban settings have made our immune systems weaker (people who live on farms or in rural areas have greater exposure to bacteria and apparently have stronger immune systems) and thus we are more likely to have food allergies.

MY TAKE

These dichlorophenols, which are also used to “purify” (ruin) our drinking water, are pesticides that should not be in our bodies, and the fact that they have a relationship with food allergies doesn’t surprise me in the least.

Yet, our water supply is full of these and many other poisonous chemicals.

According to the EPA, we use about 1.1 billion pounds of chemicals per year, 80% of which are used for agricultural purposes.

And what impact has this had on the quality of our public water supply?

With information collected by the USDA Data Pesticide Program, The Pesticide Action Network reports that 59 different pesticide residues have been found in our water supply including:

– 9 known or probable carcinogens

– 20 suspected hormone disruptors

– 7 neurotoxins

– 14 developmental or reproductive toxins

And, the biggest culprit of them all? Atrazine.

According to 2008 data from the USDA Pesticide Data Program, Atrazine, a chemical that is banned in Europe but fully approved in the U.S., has been found in 94% of of our water supply.

The health effects of Atrazine include the following:

– The Pesticide Action Network reports that it has been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, and cancer.

– The President’s Cancer Panel reported that (PDF) Atrazine “has been shown to affect mammary gland development in animal studies with some findings suggesting multigenerational effects.”

– A new study in Environmental Science reported that women who live in agricultural communities in Illinois experience much great menstrual cycle irregularities than women who live in Vermont, an area where Atrazine is sparingly used.

(Watch this shocking video below called “How Safe is Atrazine?”)

Just as we are sold on the false notion that toxic chemicals are safe when sprayed on our food supply, we are equally sold on the false notion that toxic chemicals are safe when used in our water supply.

The toxicity of our drinking water is a very serious matter, and the fact that it garners no serious discussion among the general public is incomprehensible. Hopefully, this study will get people talking a little bit more.

Additionally, while many people consider GMOs as the most likely reason for the rise in food allergies, we can now add toxic chemicals to that list of possible culprits.

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Living Maxwell

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BREAKING: Impossible Foods is “Misleading Consumers” About its GMO Protein, FDA Rejects the Claim That it is Safe for Consumption

* Impossible Foods is “misleading consumers” about the key ingredient in the Impossible Burger.

* The Company told the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that its soy leghemoglobin was  “substantially similar” to proteins consumed daily by the global population, in the form of meat and other vegetables.

However, on the Impossible Foods website, it claims that the heme in the Impossible Burger is “identical” to the heme humans have been consuming for hundreds of thousands of years in meat and other foods. 

* The FDA told Impossible Foods that its arguments “do not establish safety of SLH (soy leghemoglobin) for consumption.” The company decided to sell the Impossible Burger to the public anyway.

* Impossible Foods relied on the expert testimony of scientists who have worked for or have links to Monsanto, the Gates Foundation, Philip Morris and all of the major biotechnology companies.

* 20 minutes after eating an Impossible Burger for the first time, a man Tweeted “went into anaphylactic shock & taken to ER.”

——

One of the biggest stories in the food world over the past few years has been the Impossible Burger, the plant-based burger that bleeds when you bite into it.

The goal of the Impossible Burger is to help make a dent in climate change by offering a plant-based burger that does not come from an animal. Animals require a tremendous amount of water and feed, and also produce greenhouse gases. Because the burger is made from plants, the other thing that the Impossible Burger would do is to help alleviate the killing of animals.

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A message from Tradin Organic

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.

The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.

Learn more.

Living Maxwell

Must-Read

Beet Kvass – What is it and Why am I Drinking it?

Organic beet kvass isn’t exactly a household name, similar to a coconut water or even kombucha.

And I don’t believe that it will ever come close to having the same name recognition as these other two drinks.

Yet, its health benefits and utility may surpass them both.

A lacto-fermented beverage of Russian origin, beet kvass provides the body with beneficial bacteria and aids in digestion.

It is also touted as a blood purifier and an excellent way to cleanse the liver.

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Organic Insider

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President’s Cancer Panel Report is a Huge Endorsement for Organic Food

A few days ago, the President’s Cancer Panel, a group of independent doctors and researchers, released its annual report called “Reducing our Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now”. Needless to say, the connection between the amount of chemicals/harmful toxins in our environment and the high incidence of cancer is incredibly strong, and decisive action needs to be taken.

In its letter to the President, the Panel “urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate lives.”

The report recommends that in order to decrease exposure to pesticides, individuals should choose “food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers” and “exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones and toxic run-off from livestock feed lots can be minimized by eating free-range meat without these medications.”

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