Scientists answer critics: Why there is a long-term toxicity due to Roundup tolerant GMO corn
Lab rats fed Monsanto’s GMO corn and herbicide
Eight Scientists defend their 24- month study of rats fed GMO corn and Roundup herbicide
Conrad LeBeau
The first long-term study (24 months in duration) was literally the straw that broke the camel’s back (Monsanto). The article’s title was “Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize.” Its authors included eight distinguished researchers including Gilles-Eric Seralini, Emile Clair, Robin Mesnage, Steeve Gres, Nicholas Defarge, Maneula Malatesta, Didier Hennequin, and Joel Spiroux de Vendomois.
It was first published in electronic format on Sept 19, 2012, and then later in print in November (1) In the abstracts available online at PubMed, they wrote about the health effects of Roundup tolerant GMO corn and Roundup herbicide. The photographs of 3 rats with huge mammary tumors who were fed GMO corn and herbicide helped fuel worldwide protests on May 25th 2013 against Monsanto’s, the manufacturer of the GMO corn and herbicide.
The link between Monsanto’s GM corn and Roundup to cancer is only part of the report. Having the full article with the 24 colored photographs of tissue samples allows the rest of the story to be told. Seralini et al report that the kidneys are the most damaged organ; second was the pituitary gland. The implications are a cascade of health issues including endocrine disruption, thyroid suppression, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, low body temperature, oxidative stress, fatty liver, fatigue, high blood pressure, insomnia, poor sleep quality, and low testosterone in men.
First, a word about restricting access to scientific articles
Elsevier, a publishing company, copyrighted the articles discussed in this issue. Copies of many scientific articles are marketed through science direct, a subsidiary of Elsevier. Cost for individual article purchases often run from $30 to $60 a copy which makes access to these scientific publications unaffordable for a majority of Americans. By requiring high fees to be charged to the public, access to the full text of a majority of scientific articles is effectively denied. This is nothing less than a financial blockade that impairs the publics’ right to know. Not everyone has an extra $30 to $60 in their pocket to purchase a scientific publication; not everyone lives near a medical library either. I was able to obtain a full text copy of both articles for $5 each through a local medical college library that is part of the NIH inter-library loan program.
Another problem I observed with PubMed is that their search engine does not always retrieve an article by a partial listing of the title. You may need to type out the full name of the article or search by the author’s name. Also, it helps to select “all databases” in the search box. Another way is to retrieve an article is to use Google. You should be able to find the citation and the abstract. Take that information to a local medical library and ask for help in retrieving the entire article.
(1) Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Rounduptolerant genetically modified maize by Seralini et al Food and Chemical Toxicology 50 issue 11 (November 2012) pages 4221-4231
America’s Contaminated Meat Supply – Pesticides, Herbicides and Antibiotics
What’s in your Burger?
Antibiotics. Bt pesticide, Herbicides, Steroids?
It is not “Guess who is coming to dinner?” it is “Guess what is in your dinner?” This is true whether you buy your meats from a local grocery store or a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and numerous others. If you guessed that antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides are in the sandwich you eat daily, you guessed right. You hit the trifecta – all 3 are in the sandwiches of most Americans because the Bt pesticide and Roundup found in Monsanto’s corn is fed to cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals. The antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides end up in the meat.
The Bt pesticide and herbicides, along with some of the antibiotics fed to farm animals, are in the meat sold to unsuspecting consumers at their local grocery store, restaurants, and fast food places. The antibiotics are added to farm feed to fatten up the animals. Studies show that 60% to 90% of the meat sold to the public contains antibiotics. The public sees the meat attractively displayed in a package and is not told it contains antibiotics, pesticides or herbicides.
Imagine how many people might decide to become vegetarians overnight if they read
“This meat was inspected by the Dept of Agriculture and found to contain antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides. The US FDA says there is nothing to worry about as long-term toxicity studies in rats (90 days or less) has found the product to be safe to eat. Enjoy!”
A logical mind would ask how you could conclude that GMO corn and Roundup is safe to use for a lifetime based on a 90-day study. Yet, 90 days was the maximum length of the study on Monsanto’s GM corn and Roundup herbicide that government regulators used to approve its sale to the public. Seralini et al justifiably criticized this short-term study in both articles on Monsanto’s GM corn and Roundup published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal.
The safe alternative is buy meat that is labeled organic, grass-fed, wild, non-GMO, and contains no antibiotics. You can also buy your meat and produce from a local farmer whom you know and trust, and who assures you he does not use GMO grains, herbicides and antibiotics in their dairy, vegetable or fruit farm.
Recycling herbicides and pesticides
It should be noted that even tap water from wells is often contaminated with both pesticides and herbicides from nearby farms. City dwellers frequently apply weed killers like Roundup or “Feed and Weed” to their lawns and this ends up in city storm drains returning to the local city’s source of drinking water. While the city’s water filtration process using charcoal absorbs most of the pesticides and herbicides, not all of it is removed.
The public gets some of the herbicides and pesticides they applied to their lawns returned to them in the city tap water they drink. Doesn’t that make you thirsty? Call your local city water department and ask them how many parts per million (ppm) of glyphosate (the common weed killer) is in the city tap water. April 30, 2013, Dr Joseph Mercola MD stated in an article (2) published on his website mercola.com the following –
“The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “safe” level for glyphosate in American water supplies is 0.7 ppm. In Europe, the maximum allowable level in water is 0.2 ppm. Organ damage in animals has occurred at levels as low as 0.1 ppm… At 13 ppm, GMO corn contains more than 18 times the “safe” level of glyphosate set by the EPA."
This is truly disturbing when you consider the fact that in countries like Argentina, glyphosate is blamed for the dramatic increase in devastating birth defects as well as cancer. Sterility and miscarriages are also increasing. This may be due to its similarity to DDT, which is well known to cause reproductive problems, among other things. Another health hazard associated with glyphosate is its effect on gut bacteria. Not only does it promote the growth of more virulent pathogens, it also kills off beneficial bacteria that might keep such pathogens in check—both in the soil, and in the gut of animals or humans that ingest the contaminated crop.
It’s important to understand that the glyphosate actually becomes systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed off. It’s inside the plant. And once you eat it, it ends up in your gut where it can wreak 3 total havoc with your health, considering the fact that 80 percent of your immune system resides there and is dependent on a healthy ratio of good and bad bacteria.”
The glyphosate level approved by the U.S. EPA in America’s drinking water (0.7 ppm) is 3.5 times more that what is approved in the European Union, which is 0.2 ppm. This is the same EPA that once said the gas additive MBTE was safe, although they now admit it causes cancer and has contaminated wells in California.
This EPA told New Yorkers the day after the twin towers collapsed on 9/11 that the air was safe to breathe. This public statement was made without a single air safety test being done. Years later, thousands of first responders have developed emphysema and COPD; the federal government has paid billions to compensate them. The EPA was wrong. The moral here is not to trust blanket pronouncements of authority figures. (2)
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/30/monsantogmo- corn.aspx
What the researchers found -damage to kidneys, liver and pituitary glands.
In the 2012 report by Seralini et al quoted earlier research reports from 2007 and 2009 (1) “Detailed analyses have revealed alterations in kidney and liver function that may be the signs of early chronic diet intoxication, possibly explained at least in part by pesticide residue in the GM feed. “
“After several months of consumption of an R (Roundup)-tolerant soy, the liver and pancreas of mice were affected, as highlighted by disturbances in sub-nuclear structure (Malatesta et al, 2008a, 2002 a,b) Furthermore, this toxic effect was reproduced by the application of the R (Roundup) herbicide directly to hepatocytes in culture (Malatesta et al, 2008b)”
Seralini et al stated the 24 month study on the toxic effects of GM corn NK 603 and Roundup herbicide together or separately were done on groups of Virgin Albino Sprague-Dawley rats at 5 weeks of age that were divided into ten groups of 10 each including controls. In their report, they wrote:
“Females developed large mammary tumors almost always more often than and before controls, the pituitary gland was the second most disabled organ; the sex hormonal balance was modified by GMO and Roundup treatment.”
“In the female cohorts, there were 2-3 times more deaths in all treated groups compared to controls by the end of the experiment and earlier in general. Females were more sensitive to the presence of R (Roundup) in drinking water than males, as evidenced by a shorter lifespan.”
“The most affected organs in males were the liver, together with the hepatodigestive tract and kidneys (table 2 and Fig 3).”
The kidney and the liver are the two major detoxifying organs in the body. Kidney failure means more poisons circulate in your blood that damages the liver, heart, and other organs. Kidney failure also leads to edema, retention of water, hypertension, and places more stress on the heart. Impaired kidney function may cause edema and congestive heart failure.
The more poison we ingest that an impaired liver and kidneys cannot eliminate, the more chaos and damage we do to the rest of our body. Fatigue and weakness is the result of auto-intoxification. Because humans have a significantly longer life span than the rats used in the study, it could take 10, 20, or 30 years for the adverse health effects to reach a crisis level. Aren’t we there now? Once the damage is done, no one can guarantee that eliminating these toxins from the diet will reverse these ill effects. We may also be harming future generations by passing on damaged DNA.
The research shows that Monsanto’s GMO corn and their Roundup herbicide are not just a couple of additional cancer causing agents in the diet, but the damage systemically results in a long list of illnesses that we are just beginning to understand.
Where is the pituitary gland? What does it do?
The pituitary gland is about the size of a pea and is located at the base of the brain at the bottom of the hypothalamus. It is a master endocrine gland and secretes several hormones for regulating metabolism and activity in other organs and bodily systems to maintain homeostasis. (3)
Some of the regulating hormones produced by the pituitary gland are – Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Beta-Endorphin Prolactin Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Melanocyte –Stimulating Hormones (MSHs) Oxytocin Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH)
The Pituitary gland also has receptors for the hormone melatonin that is produced by the pineal gland. Excess melatonin levels during the day will make you sleepy while a lack of melatonin at night will make it difficult to fall asleep and or to stay asleep.
Like the controlling software of a computer, the pituitary gland and the hormones it produces or receives controls and regulates the entire life process of a human being; this includes their immune system, quality of sleep, and energy level. A damaged pituitary gland undermines the quality of life and may bring one closer to death’s door.
Thus, chemical pollutants that damage the pituitary gland must be considered with the same gravity as all other life and death issues. In the November, 2012 article by Seralini et al, they published colored slides of damaged tissue from the liver, kidney, mammary glands and pituitary glands of the rats fed GM corn NK 603 alone, with Roundup and Roundup alone.
While the control photographs look normal (1) colored slides in the article show damage to the liver, pituitary and kidney glands from combinations of GMO corn plus Roundup. They also found that at the highest ingestion of the herbicide Roundup, male rats have twice the estrogen levels of controls.
In their latest Answer to Critics: "Why there is a long term toxicity to a Roundup tolerant genetically modified maize and to a Roundup herbicide," that is published online in Food and Chemical Toxicology magazine, Seralini et al answer in detail some 30 criticisms directed at their previously work. They pointed out that a previous study using the same strain of rats done in 2004 where Roundup was used lasted only 90 days. (3) Article from Wikipedia on the “pituitary gland”
Roundup on Steroids – POEA is the other controversial chemical
Seralini pointed out that in the total formula Roundup was more than glyphosate. There were other chemicals that caused the glyphosate to penetrate and be absorbed faster than the use of glyphosate alone. One of those chemicals is a surfactant called POEA. In fact, Monsanto’s ads on TV show that Roundup will kill weeds faster than competitive weed killers. Oregon State University has a web site called the National Pesticide Information Center (8).
Here is what they say about the surfactant POEA in Roundup –
“Studies indicate that the surfactant polyoxyethyleneamine or polyethoxylated tallow amine (both abbreviated POEA), used in some commercial glyphosate-based formulations, may be more toxic by the oral route to animals than glyphosate itself.” (6, 7)
On Monsanto’s website are lots of research based on glyphosate alone but not the whole Roundup formulation.
The research they choose to present to the public is “cherry picked” to show little or no adverse health effects from using glyphosate. Then they do something illogical. They claim that Roundup is safe based on the studies of glyphosate alone. However, glyphosate alone is not what they are marketing in Roundup. Where are Monsanto’s long-term studies with the whole Roundup formulation? Monsanto runs away from talking about the adverse effects of the total Roundup formulation that includes not only glyphosate but the combined effects with POEA and other surfactants in the formula. I did not see a link on Monsanto's website answering the Seralini’s scientific group's critiques.
In their Answer to Critics, Seralini and 7 other scientists also cite 52 scientific articles in the reference section to support their research methodology and findings. (6) Williams, G. M.; Kroes, R.; Munro, I. C. Safety evaluation and risk assessment of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, for humans. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2000, 31, 117-165. 5 (7). Bradberry, S. M.; Proudfoot, A. T.; Vale, J. A. Glyphosate poisoning. Toxicol. Rev. 2004, 23 (3), 159-167. (8) npic.orst.edu
Is City Tap Water Safe to Drink?
The cumulative effect of multiple toxins in drinking water I obtained data from the City of Milwaukee’s website on the quality of the drinking water. For tap water, the City of Milwaukee has a reputation for some of the cleanest water in the nation. The city even adds ozone to the water to kill off microbial organisms like cryptosporidium that sickened over 400,000 people in the 1990’s. In spite of the foregoing, the test data online shows a trace amount of glyphosate (referred to as Roundup) present in the drinking water. It measures in mg/L as 6 micrograms per liter. This is about 1/100th the amount the EPA says is the safe maximum limit and about 1/33rd the amount Europe says is safe.
Chemicals that interfere with liver detoxification may have a cumulative effect over time. Besides trace amounts of glyphosate, there are trace amounts of more than 150 other chemicals in the city’s drinking water listed in parts per million. When measured individually, each of them is probably harmless. However, when you add the small quantities of all 150 chemicals together, they add up to about 1 to 2 milligrams per liter of water.
So pick your poison. If this quantity were applied to glyphosate alone or any of the other chemicals in the city water, they would exceed EPA limits. The problem is that there are no studies by anyone including the government that combine all these chemicals together and access their cumulative effects on liver and kidney function, and other bodily organs.
In the absence of studies, I could not be certain that Milwaukee’s drinking water or the tap water of any other city in the United States is safe to drink.
Note: Recently, I started buying spring water that is brought down from the Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin. The source of this water is found deep in the maple forests located many miles away from farms and industries that are known polluters of the land. By the way, the Nicolet water has a very clean and refreshing taste. I consume about 3 quarts a day.
Glyphosates inhibit the liver detoxification pathway known as cytochrome P450
Dr Joseph Mercola (4) quotes Samsel and Seneff’s report in the journal Entropy, that glyphosate residues, found in most commonly consumed foods “enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease.”
The primary discovery of their report is that glyphosate in weed killers like Roundup inhibit cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. These P450 liver enzymes break down and remove toxic chemicals from the body. Because Roundup and glyphosate inhibits these detoxifying enzymes, there is a gradual buildup of a wide range of toxins in the body leading to inflammatory conditions and multiple diseases. [Some of Roundup’s toxicity is made worse due to the presence of the surfactant POEA.]
The adverse effects of herbicides and antibiotics on intestinal flora Dr. Stephanie Seneff has been conducting research at MIT for over 30 years. Her latest research discusses how glyphosate from food affects intestinal flora (4). She states:
“Here, we show how interference with CYP enzymes acts synergistically with disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids by gut bacteria, as well as impairment in serum sulfate transport,” the authors write. “Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease."
The Gut and the glyphosate toxicity
Samsel and Seneff’s explain how glyphosate disrupt beneficial intestinal flora: “Glyphosate’s claimed mechanism of action in plants is the disruption of the shikimate pathway, which is involved with the synthesis of the essential aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and 6 tryptophan. The currently accepted dogma is that glyphosate is not harmful to humans or to any mammals because the shikimate pathway is absent in all animals.
However, this pathway is present in gut bacteria, which play an important and heretofore largely overlooked role in human physiology through an integrated biosemiotic relationship with the human host. In addition to aiding digestion, the gut microbiota synthesize vitamins, detoxify xenobiotics, and participate in immune system homeostasis and gastrointestinal tract permeability. Furthermore, dietary factors modulate the microbial composition of the gut.”
Samsel and Seneff report that incidences of inflammatory bowel disease and allergies have increased dramatically over the past decade. The CDC reports that one in 20 children have had food allergies, and incidence of eczema ,and other skin conditions, and this has increased significantly, and now affects 1 in 8 kids. Samsel and Seneff argue that glyphosate may be contributing to these conditions because of their disruptive effects on gut flora (4).
They state:
“…Our systematic search of the literature has led us to the realization that many of the health problems that appear to be associated with a Western diet could be explained by biological disruptions that have already been attributed to glyphosate. These include digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, Parkinson’s disease, liver diseases, and cancer, among others. While many other environmental toxins obviously also contribute to these diseases and conditions, we believe that glyphosate may be the most significant environmental toxin, mainly because it is pervasive and it is often handled carelessly due to its perceived non-toxicity. …[T]he recent alarming increase in all of these health issues can be traced back to a combination of gut dysbiosis, impaired sulfate transport, and suppression of the activity of the various members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) family of enzymes.”
Based on Samsel and Seneff’s research that glyphosate kills friendly intestinal flora and considering the presence of antibiotics in most over-the-counter meats, the gut flora we need for our optimal health takes a double hit. Antibiotics in animal feed and meat – one of many causes of the obesity epidemic The NY Times reported that 80% of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used in animal feed. It is well established that the use of antibiotics cause farm animals to gain weight and this makes their use profitable.
It would seem logical that since the antibiotics are in the animals at the time they are slaughtered and marketed to the public that these same antibiotics consumed by the public would also be contributing to their weight gain as well as the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. “Approximately 100 percent of chickens and turkeys, 90 percent of swine and veal calves, and 60 percent of beef cattle receive diets containing antibiotic drugs during some part of their lives (Manchanda 1994)” This is reported in “The Use of Drugs in Food Animals: Benefits and Risks” 1999 (5)
Dr Joseph Mercola MD reports that antibiotics used in animal feed are destroying beneficial intestinal flora in humans who consume antibiotic tainted meat, and are also creating antibiotics resistant super bugs like MRSA. On December 28, 2010 Mercola wrote:
“Animals in factory farms are given doses of antibiotics — both to keep them alive in stressful, unsanitary conditions, and to make them grow faster. The practice leads to new strains of antibioticresistant bacteria, such as the now-widespread form of staph (MRSA) known as ST398. Federal regulators have in the past refused to release estimates of just how much antibiotics the livestock industry uses. But recently the FDA released its first-ever report on the topic. And the amount? Twenty-nine million pounds of antibiotics in 2009 alone."
(4)http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/09/ (5) www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5137 page181
The half-life of glyphosate
The National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State University website (8) finds – “The median half-life of glyphosate in soil has been widely studied; values between 2 and 197 days have been reported in the literature. A typical field half-life of 47 days has been suggested. Soil and climate conditions affect glyphosate’s persistence in soil.” (8) npic.orst.edu 7 Corn on the Cob anyone? Comes with Monsanto’s Bt pesticide and Roundup herbicide.
The corn on the cob looks very attractive at the local grocery store and at the State Fair. Unfortunately, unless it is labeled organic, an heirloom variety or non-gmo, it may contain hidden dangers like the Bt pesticide and Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. To answer the question of whether or not commonly sold sweet corn is genetically modified to produce its own pesticides and is sprayed with herbicides, I went to the horse’s mouth – that is – Monsanto’s website at Monsanto.com. There I found a seed company called Seminis®, owned by Monsanto of St. Louis, MO. They market a brand of sweet corn called Performance Series™.
Here is what Monsanto says at its website: “Seminis® Performance Series™ sweet corn, an insect-protected glyphosate-tolerant sweet corn (Bt/RoundupReady ® sweet corn) developed through biotechnology, was the first product in our Performance Series™ portfolio of premium products and is currently available in the United States for planting for commercial fresh market use….
"These high-quality sweet corn seeds offer additional competitive advantages to growers by providing them with protection from above and below ground insect pests, as well as tolerance to Roundup WeatherMax® and Roundup PowerMAX® agricultural herbicides.”
Note: WeatherMax®, Roundup PowerMAX®, Seminis®, Performance Series™ and RoundupReady® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Corp. St Louis, MO.
To find non-gmo corn on the cob locally, contact your local health food store, Whole Foods Market or organic growers at your local farmer’s market. If you cannot find a vendor that is certified organic, ask questions. Also, avoid GMO corn in breakfast cereal, tacos, tamales, and avoid restaurants and all fast food chains unless they are health food restaurants. You should assume all breakfast cereals with corn or soy in them, corn muffins, tacos, corn chips and all other corn and soy products contain GMOs with the inherit Bt pesticide and herbicides (unless labeled organic or non-gmo).
Affordable choices in healthier foods
The average American buys lots of cheap food, cooks too much, and throws much of it out. You can keep your food bill under control by buying less, preparing smaller meals, cooking at home, and avoiding restaurants. Try making homemade soups. Consider having a vegetarian meal once a day if you have been a regular meat eater. Buy a book or two on vegetarian cooking. Try refried organic beans and rice with a salad on the side. Have fish 2 or 3 times a week. Buy grassfed beef or bison. Shop around at local farmers markets and health food stores. I found tasty organic corn chips at Trader Joes recently. Trader Joes have very competitive prices and a good reputation for quality organic products.
However, a lot of their products are not labeled organic so read labels carefully before making your choices wherever you are purchasing food. I do like Trader Joes wild blueberries from Canada. Check out their website traderjoes.com for nearby locations.
Where to buy heirloom seeds
Although Monsanto and its many subsidiaries sell a variety of non-gmo seeds, and even some heirloom varieties, I would boycott Monsanto and any company under their financial wing because of their sheer dishonesty in marketing based on flawed research designed to conceal the real health threats of some of their products. Public distrust of both big corporations and government regulatory agencies infiltrated by their agents and former employees has given rise to a big demand for heirloom and organic seeds.
Local seed distributors have increased their availability of heirloom seed varieties. Here are a few sources of organic, heirloom or non-gmo seeds.
- Seattleseed.com
- Americanmeadows.com
- Mypatriotsupply.com
- Urbanorganicgardener.com
- Groworganic.com
- Harrisseeds.com
- Territorialseed.com
- Edenbrothers.com
- Rareseeds.com
- Burpee.com
Book Review “The Virgin Diet”
Sometime last month, (May 2013), I watched a public television interview on Milwaukee Public Television with JJ Virgin CNS CHFS, author of “The Virgin Diet.” The program immediately interested me as Ms. JJ Virgin talked about how the food we eat affects immune system reactions in our gut. She stated that actual allergic reactions (e.g. bronchial constriction, hives, itchy skin etc) to food are rare and cited uncommon reactions to peanuts as an example. [These reactions may be associated with elevated histamine production or IgE. In a severe allergic reaction, immediate medical attention is required.]
However, actual allergic reactions to a particular food are not a common problem while food intolerances and sensitivities are very common. Immune reactions to foods cited by Virgin are described as food intolerance or food sensitivities. This is caused when immune cells in the gut produce antibodies against certain proteins in foods to which we have acquired an intolerance. In her book, she cited elevated levels of immunoglobulin IgG as an example.
She said this type of immune reaction was inflammatory. In her interview, she cited 7 foods that millions of people consumed daily that they were intolerant of and that produced negative reactions. She linked these food intolerances to obesity, aching joints, brain fog, fatigue, insomnia, and a host of autoimmune conditions.
In her TV interview she claimed that if you completely eliminate these 7 foods for 7 days you could lose 7 pounds. The seven foods she listed to avoid are- 1. Soy and peanuts 2. Corn 3. Eggs 4. Sugar and diet drinks [chocolates, candy] 5. Gluten (mainly in wheat) 6. Dairy (milk and milk products) 7. GMO (genetically modified foods)
Her diet does not restrict calories. When intolerant foods are eliminated, appetite drops dramatically within a few days and the fat will fall off. She stated that over the past 20 years, she found over 2000 clients who had various health problems and all of them had some food intolerances that were linked to those specific health problems.
Her message was similar to one I observed and have written about several years ago. A healthy gut equals a healthy body. Normal stools are a sign of a healthy gut. Virgin cites signs of food sensitivities as 1. digestion trouble, bloating, gas, cramps, constipation, and diarrhea. 2. sleep issues, waking up in the middle of the night, and unable to get back to sleep or waking up with unrefreshing sleep. 3. sinus and lung congestion. 4. muscle aches and joint pain. 5. dark circles under eyes. 6. skin problems. 7. brain fog, depression, anxiety, and irritability. 8. fatigue or low energy. 9. weight gain and belly fat. 10. premature aging.
I would highly recommend her book to doctors and health care professionals of all persuasions. It is both a reference book and a consumer guide packed with Virgin’s keen insights and experiences. Virgin connects the dots from diet to lifestyle to the major diseases of our times. She takes food from the farm to the food market to the dinner table. She has a website called the virgindiet.com. She has been a nutritional consultant on Dr Phil’s show, was co-host of “Freaky Eaters.” Harlequin Press publishes “The Virgin Diet”. Harlequin.com. It is sold almost everywhere books are sold.
I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about meaningful directions for a lifestyle change. Another book I highly recommend is “Wheat Belly” by Dr William Davis MD. Like Virgin’s book Dr. Davis’s book is well researched and covers the historical use and evolution of wheat going back thousands of years. Dr Davis makes a good case that wheat gluten is an appetite stimulant, promotes spikes in blood sugar and insulin resistance. He discusses his own experiments and results with a wheat free diet.
Update on FDA v LeBeau -
There is no decision yet from US District Judge Charles Clevert who is reviewing the case. June 13th 2013 is the 5th month since the review began. Additional copies of this newsletter are $2 each; 5 for $8 Write to: Keep Hope Alive, PO Box 270041, West Allis, WI 53227 414-231-9817.
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