Mercury toxicity- increased in blood samples

(NaturalNews) It's no secret mercury is a dangerous toxin that accumulates in the human body and can produce disastrous health problems involving multiple organ systems. It's known to be a risk to unborn babies, too. Unfortunately, as NaturalNews has reported, mercury contamination of our environment and food sources is rampant. For example, scientists have found that fish(http://www.naturalnews.com/025935_m...) and high fructose corn syrup (http://www.naturalnews.com/026528_m...) are often loaded with the dangerous heavy metal. Now comes this worrisome news: deposits of mercury in the bodies of Americans are increasing at an alarming rate and the health repercussions could be staggering.

Mercury especially targets the liver, the immune system and the pituitary gland. Numerous studies have associated chronic mercury exposure with elevated risks for autism, mental impairment and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Previous research by U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) researchers estimated that chronic mercury exposure caused between 300,000 and 600,000 American children to be born with elevated risks of neurodevelopmental disorders between 1999 and 2000.

A new University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) study of government data on more than 6,000 women in the US found not only that mercury loads in bodies are increasing but it also identified significant associations between chronic mercury exposure and immune and endocrine system functions. The research specifically revealed that levels of the pituitary hormone, lutropin (also called luteinizing hormone) are significantly associated with chronic mercury exposure. This could explain a mechanism for how mercury causes or contributes to degenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases.

"My study found compelling evidence that inorganic mercury deposition within the human body is a cumulative process, increasing with age and overall in the population over time," study author Dan R. Laks, a neuroscience researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said in a statement to the media."My findings also suggest a rise in risks for disease associated with mercury over time."

For his research, which was recently published online in the international biology, biochemistry and medicine journal Biometals, Laks studied computer analyses of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). He investigated inorganic mercury levels in the blood of 6,168 women between the ages of 18 and 49 in NHANES data sets from 1999 to 2000, 2001 to 2002, 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2006. In all, between 1,455 and 1,622 women were in each two-year matched group.

Mercury has elemental, organic and inorganic forms, depending on the sources of exposure. Mercury in contaminated fish, for instance, is organic. However, studies in animals have shown that with chronic exposure to organic mercury, the metal changes to its inorganic form -- so inorganic mercury is usually considered the best measure of chronic mercury exposure. And when Laks looked for inorganic mercury in the blood of women studied in 2005-2006, he found it in 30 percent of the blood samples. That's an increase in mercury of two percent over women in the 1999 to 2000 study.

What's more, the overall population average of blood inorganic mercury concentration increased significantly between 1999 and 2006, as well. Neuroscientist Laks also conducted a separate statistical analysis of older women and discovered they had more inorganic mercury in their blood than younger women.

"These results suggest that chronic mercury exposure has reached a critical level where inorganic mercury deposition within the human body is accumulating over time. It is logical to assume that the risks of associated neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases will rise as well," Laks stated.

For more information:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/hu...
http://www.naturalnews.com/mercury.html
http://orf.od.nih.gov/Environmental...

Naturally preventing Alzheimer

(NaturalNews) A nutrient found in grapes, green tea and cocoa could have a significant impact on the brain cell damage that leads to Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a new study carried out by scientists at Kings College, London (UK).

A research team headed by Dr Robert Williams, a lead scientist at the Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases, examined the effects of epicatechin, a nutrient found abundantly in the three foods, in a model of Alzheimer's disease and assessed the potential effectiveness it might have to slow signs of deterioration leading to the illness.

Alzheimer's disease is believed to be caused by a build up of sticky proteins in the brain called 'amyloid plaques'. Results revealed that epicatechin may prevent their formation.

"We have found that epicatechin protects brain cells from damage. This is interesting because epicatechin and its breakdown products are one of the relatively few flavonoids known to access the brain, suggesting it has the potential to be bioactive in humans", said Dr Williams.

"Our findings support the general concept that dietary intake of flavonoid-rich foods or supplements could impact on the development and progression of dementia." [1]

Also published this week was a new study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease suggesting that a combination of Vitamin D and curcumin, the main component of the spice turmeric, may clear the brain of amyloid plaques in individuals already suffering from the disease.

Scientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, have discovered that the two nutrients may stimulate the immune system in such a way that the body is prompted to remove the toxic build-up.

Through a series of experiments, the researchers were able to determine that curcumin and vitamin D could 'double team' Alzheimer's plaques through a joint mechanism of action. Curcumin was shown to help white blood cells latch onto plaque proteins, while vitamin D could bring up the rear and increase the speed at which the cells were able to gobble it up.

"We hope that vitamin D3 and curcumin, both naturally occurring nutrients, may offer new preventive and treatment possibilities for Alzheimer's disease," said study author Dr. Milan Fiala. [2]

Curcumin has been investigated for a number of years in relation to the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Recent research also suggests that low levels of vitamin D may be a significant risk factor.
[3] However, this is the first study directly linking it to a possible treatment for the condition.

[1] Presented at the British Pharmacological Society's Summer Meeting, Edinburgh, July 10 2009.
[2] Masoumi et al. 1á,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Interacts with Curcuminoids to Stimulate Amyloid-â Clearance by Macrophages of Alzheimer's Disease Patients. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2009 Jul;17(3):703-717.
[3] Evatt et al. Prevalence of vitamin d insufficiency in patients with Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol. 2008 Oct;65(10):1348-52.

Power lines and Alzheimer

(NaturalNews) Living near power lines may significantly increase a person's risk of death from Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study is the first to definitively link exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields to elevated mortality from dementia.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by progressive cognitive decline.

Researchers examined residential census data for more than 95 percent of Switzerland's population for the years 1990 and 2000, and compared this information with mortality figures for 4.7 million people over the age of 29 between 2000 and 2005. They found that people who lived within 50 meters (160 feet) of a long-distance power transmission line were 1.24 times more likely to die of Alzheimer's disease than those who lived 600 meters (2,000 feet) or more away.

Those who had lived near the power line for five years or more had 1.51 times the risk of those living farther away. This risk was increased 1.71 times for those who had lived close to a power line for 10 years, and two times for those who had lived within 50 meters for 15 years or more.

The figures for senile dementia were similar to those for Alzheimer's disease.

Long-distance power lines transmit power at 220-380 kilovolts. They do not give off radiation at the same frequency as other power lines, which transmit smaller amounts of electricity shorter distances.

The researchers noted that the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields created by long-distance power lines are also created by many household electrical appliances and even the wiring within buildings. The World Health Organization has classified these fields as possible carcinogens.

Due to the fact that household appliances are probably more significant sources of ELF field exposure than power lines, the researchers recommend precautionary measures such as not sleeping too close to active electric appliances, such as clock radios or electric blankets, for long periods of time.

Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com.

Diabetes rises Alzheimer's risk

(NaturalNews) New research confirms that diabetics have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Stockholm Gerontology Research Center reported that people with diabetes are 70 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to those with normal blood sugar levels.

Type II diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, a condition where chronic high blood sugar levels have caused an overproduction of insulin. Along with many other side effects, high insulin levels produce inflammation in the body. This inflammation can cause damage in the brain.

"Diabetes does damage some of the vessels particularly neuropathy, which is when your nerves and vessels are damaged in your feet. And now they're saying that damage has gone as far as even brain cells," states Kelly O'Connor, a diabetes educator with Mercy Medical Center.

Another study, led by Rachel A. Whitmer of the Division of Research at Kaiser Permanente in California, looked at the history of more than 22,000 patients with Type II diabetes whose records had been followed for eight years. The study revealed that higher blood sugar counts correlated with an increased risk of developing dementia. Those with very high blood sugar levels showed a dramatically increased risk of dementia.

"With the whole diabetes epidemic we're seeing much more Type II, so are we going to see even more Alzheimer's than we thought we would see? If we continue in this direction, it's a little bit frightening," says Dr. Whitmer.

For someone with type II diabetes, when blood sugar rises, brain function begins to slow. This occurs even before a diabetic may notice symptoms of blood sugar swings, which is why it is so important for diabetics to develop lifestyle habits that help them control their blood sugar.

The link between diabetes and Alzheimer's goes even deeper. In both diseases, there is a buildup of the protein amyloid--in the brain in Alzheimer's patients, and in the pancreas in those with diabetes. Too much insulin, a condition common in diabetics, can contribute to the buildup of amyloid in the brain.

"It by no means means that you're going to develop Alzheimer's disease, and certainly many people with Alzheimer's don't have diabetes," says Dr. Ralph Nixon of New York University, vice chairman of the Alzheimer's Association's scientific advisory council. His advice for diabetics is not to panic.

While there may be no reason to panic, there is strong urging for both diabetics and pre-diabetics to take every measure possible to properly manage blood sugar levels. And since diabetes is a disease which develops because of years of high blood sugar, even people who are not yet at risk for diabetes should do what they can to stay that way.

Managing your blood sugar is not at all complicated. Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight are two simple ways to combat diabetes. It's also important to consider how your eating habits affect your blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates and sugar are especially known for causing high blood sugar. Eating carbohydrates alone can cause blood sugar to spike, so try eating whole carbohydrates with some protein and healthy fat to prevent this. Making permanent healthy lifestyle habits is your best chance at preventing disease.

Sources:

http://wjz.com/local/diabetes.alzhe...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/h...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/...

GM tomatoes-carriers for Alzheimer's vaccine!

Genetically Engineered Tomatoes that Carry an Alzheimers Vaccine

Published on 14-07-2008 Email To Friend Print Version
http://io9.com/5024760/genetically-enginee...heimers-vaccine


The humble tomato could be a suitable carrier for an oral vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease, according to HyunSoon Kim from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) in Korea and colleagues from Digital Biotech Inc. and the Department of Biological Science at Wonkwang University.

Although their research is still in the early stages, it is a promising first step towards finding an edible vaccine against the neurodegenerative disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and it progresses over a long period of time. It is thought to be caused by the accumulation of human beta-amyloid, a toxic insoluble fibrous protein in the brain, which leads to the death of neurons. Reducing the accumulation of beta-amyloid may inhibit the degeneration of the nervous system and therefore prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. One approach is to stimulate the immune system to reduce beta-amyloid in the brain.

Kim and colleagues’ aim was to develop a plant-derived vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease, since beta-amyloid is toxic to animal cells. Tomatoes are an attractive candidate as a vaccine carrier because they can be eaten without heat treatment, which reduces the risk of destroying the immune stimulation potential of the foreign protein. The researchers inserted the beta-amyloid gene into the tomato genome and measured the immune responses to the tomato-derived toxic protein in a group of 15-month-old mice.

They immunized the mice orally with the transgenic tomato plants once a week for three weeks, and also gave the mice a booster seven weeks after the first tomato feed. Blood analyses showed a strong immune response after the booster, with the production of antibodies to the human foreign protein.

The authors conclude: “Although we did not reveal a reduction of existing plaques in the brain of mice challenged with tomato-derived beta-amyloid…this study represents a unique approach in which transgenic plants expressing beta-amyloid protein are used to produce a vaccine.” The team is currently looking at strategies to increase the potency of the tomato-based vaccine, because fresh tomatoes contain only 0.7% protein and levels of foreign protein are even lower.