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Toxic chemicals finding their way into the womb

By Stephanie Smith, CNN Medical Producer

Five years ago Molly and Zachery Gray were in the midst of a dark, lonely spiral. It began with Molly's first miscarriage.

"It was a really emotional process of being so joyful and so happy and ready to make that step into parenthood and that being pulled away from you," said Molly, 32. "[The pregnancy is] happening and all of a sudden it's gone. It's really hard."

After a second miscarriage the Grays were on a desperate hunt for answers. After Molly got pregnant a third time, she heard about a small study to test the blood of pregnant women for chemicals. She signed up.

The Grays wondered, as many do, if chemicals in the environment could be to blame. The science on this matter cannot yet give them an answer.

A growing number of studies are finding hundreds of toxic chemicals in mothers' and, subsequently, their babies' bodies when they are born. While there is no science yet that demonstrates conclusive cause and effect between this mix of toxic chemicals children are born with and particular health problems, a range of studies are finding associations between elevated levels of chemicals in a baby's body and their development. Not definitive cause and effect, but associations.

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New Ads Try to Shock Men Into Going to See the Doctor

Public Health Push Strikes Darkly Humorous Tone to Attack Problem:
Men Avoid Care That Could Prevent Future Ills

When it comes to their health, men are the weaker sex: They don't get checkups as often as women, are hospitalized more often with preventable illnesses, and they die younger.

Now, just in time for Father's Day, public-health officials are trying to change that. A darkly humorous ad campaign being launched this week aims to tackle the serious issue of an aging generation of men in denial of their health risks.

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In one TV spot, a family is gathered in their new house with the real-estate broker, who predicts they will have many happy years there. "Except for you," she says to the dad, "because you'll be gone three years from now...struck down by the same disease that got your father."

In a parting shot the broker adds: "Sadly, it could have been detected early with a simple test....but you didn't have it."

About 57% of men have visited the doctor within the past year, compared with about 74% of women, according to surveys by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Black and Hispanic men are even less likely than white men to have routine checkups. At the same time, men are hospitalized at significantly higher rates than women for preventable conditions such as congestive heart failure and complications of diabetes and pneumonia that can be prevented with a vaccination.

While there is no scientific evidence as to why men avoid doctors, many physicians attribute it to a macho culture which equates doctor visits with weakness, reluctance to undergo tests such as rectal and prostate exams and fear of finding out that something might be wrong.

"Most men who are young think they are immortal, and unless they've gone to war they never feel their lives are at risk," says heart surgeon Mehmet Oz, whose medical TV show and website, doctoroz.com, will promote the campaign and link to the ads. In addition to targeting men, he says, the aim is to persuade families to nudge them into getting checkups.

Women tend to be more engaged in their health care from puberty as they visit gynecologists and, later, obstetricians for childbearing. But even excluding reproductive needs, women are more likely to seek care than men, says Carolyn Clancy, director of the AHRQ, which worked with the Ad Council on the public-service campaign. The gender differences are obvious early, she says: In one study of 8- and 9-year-old campers with headaches, girls were more likely than boys to see the camp nurse.

A list of recommended preventive screenings for men will be available this week at AHRQ.gov/healthymen, or by calling 1-800-358-9295. All men should have their body-mass index assessed to screen for obesity; starting at 35, they should have their cholesterol checked regularly, and a blood-pressure check is recommended every two years. Men with high blood pressure or high cholesterol should also be screened for diabetes. Men aged 65 to 75 need a test for an abdominal aortic aneurysm if they have ever smoked. At 50, they should get a colorectal-cancer screening test, unless there is a family history of the disease, in which case patients may need to be screened earlier.

Men are also urged to talk to their doctor about being screened for depression if they have felt "down, hopeless or sad" over a two-week period or have felt "little pleasure or interest in doing things." And depending on their sexual habits—-a list of risk factors is available on the website-men should be screened for sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.

The screening recommendations were developed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which uses scientific evidence of their effectiveness to determine whether to recommend a test for routine use. Medicare and private insurers may cover other tests, such as prostate-cancer screening; AHRQ advises men to talk to their doctors about diseases for which tests aren't routinely recommended including prostate and skin cancers.

Striking a long-term relationship with a primary care doctor can help ease men out of their fear and avoidance, and make it easier to spot changes and diagnose problems, says Sharon Orrange, an internist and assistant professor at University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

One of her patients, Kevin Ash, now 53, began getting regular checkups after he was 40; Dr. Orrange picked up on some symptoms over time, and diagnosed him with pernicious anemia, an inability to absorb vitamin B-12 which results in a decrease in red blood cells and can cause damage to nerves and organs. The deficiency can be treated with injections of the vitamin.

"Guys are more afraid of finding something is wrong, so it's easier not to go to the doctor," says Mr. Ash, who says he was initially worried about getting a blood test because it might have shown cancer. "One of the best feelings is to have a doctor who knows you, and who you are not afraid to say anything to, and vice versa."

As men age they are also at higher risk for a number of other issues such as osteoporosis, says John Morley, an endocrinologist and geriatrics specialist at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. Dr. Morley, who recommends that by 70, all men should have their bone-mineral density measured. (The U.S. task force recommends osteoporosis screenings only for women over 65.)

He says men who experience erectile dysfunction should also be screened for its most common cause, vascular disease, which if left untreated, can put men at high risk for heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Morley has also developed a widely used questionnaire, available online at picrx.com/adam.htm, to screen for low levels of the hormone testosterone, which can affect libido and energy levels.

Source:Wall Street Journal

Olivamine Use for the Elite Athlete

Improving the body's innate ability to perform under stress and increased oxidative damage requires knowledge of the redox process. Antioxidants are helpful in the recovery and protective functions but only N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is associated with the restoration of glutathione. Glutathione must be produced through an enzymatic process and is not bio-available if taken orally. The conversion of NAC to glutathione requires co-factors. Other antioxidants, such as hydroxytyrosol, aid in the cellular protection process during strenuous exercise.

Reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress is of importance to athletes. Bike racing and training cause a rapid increase in metabolic activity and causes oxidative damage to the cells. This damage in part is associated with the loss of glutathione. Glutathione is a tripeptide that is endogenous to all cells. The primary amino acid associated with the restoration of glutathione is NAC. This is followed by glycine. Sixty percent of NAC is converted to glutathione. NAC along with its co-factors vitamins B3 and B6 prevented the decline of intracellular glutathione levels and increased activity of the enzyme responsible for recycling and restoring glutathione to normal levels, protecting cells from oxidative stress.¹ In a study it was found that NAC improved exercise endurance time by 25% compared with placebo while significantly reducing levels of oxidative molecules.²

Hydroxytyrosol is an excellent antioxidant. The fundament for the physiological impact of hydroxytyrosol is its high intrinsic antioxidant activity. Hydroxytyrosol is a potent scavenger of several reactive species. The amphiphilic character of hydroxytyrosol facilitates its uptake in the intestines. Moreover, because of its amphiphilic nature, hydroxytyrosol is expected to provide protection in both lipid and aqueous cellular compartments.

Hydroxytyrosol has beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. It protects against the oxidative stress mediated impairment of blood vessel relaxation, thereby preserving one of the key mechanisms in regulating blood pressure. The applicability of hydroxytyrosol is not merely restricted to cardiovascular health. Hydroxytyrosol efficiently protects against the oxidative stress mediated reduction in force production of isolated skeletal muscle. Furthermore, the supplementation of hydroxytyrosol in healthy men considerably boosts the antioxidant capacity of blood and muscle and attenuates the rise in plasma lactate during exercise.³

1. Zembron-Lacny A, Szyszka K, Szygula Z. Effect of cysteine derivatives administration in healthy men exposed to intense resistance exercise by evaluation of pro-antioxidant ration. J. Physiol Sci. 2007 Dec;57(6):343-8

2. Koechlin C, Couillard A, Simar D, et al. Does oxidative stress alter quadriceps endurance in chronic obstructive disease? Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 May 1;169(9):1022-7.

3. Rietjen Saskia, et al. Hydroxytyrosol A Versatile Antioxidant From Olive Oil. University Maastricht. 1980 July 12; 1-128.

Pinnaclife'sŪ Omega-3 Supplements Have Unsurpassed Purity and Scientific Excellence

You may be aware of recent stories in the news regarding the purity of certain fish oil products. We want to assure you that, at Pinnaclife, the purity of our products is paramount. To prove this, we'd like to share with you our new brochure about our miracle Olivamine10 Omega-3 fish oil product. It includes information about the fish oil used in our product as well as charts illustrating the levels of toxins in our fish oil versus the highest known international regulating standards. As you will see, our fish oil purity levels substantially exceed national and international standards.

PINNACLIFE'S PCB LEVEL STANDARD EXCEEDS THE SAFETY STANDARD SET BY THE FDA BY MORE THAN 20,000%.

At Pinnaclife, we believe that the importance of fish oil is critical, but you shouldn't be getting all the toxins along with it. Take a look at our brochure and then share this information with others. This will give you an excellent opportunity to position our Omega-3 product against other fish oil products on the market. If someone says they're already taking another fish oil, show them the chart and explain our purity standards. Do they have a brochure exhibiting such purity in the product they're taking? The brochure shows you what you get from Pinnaclife.

Read Brochure (PDF)