Health & Fitness

Unbeknownst to many Americans, a majority of soybean, corn, canola and sunflower seeds planted in the U.S. are precoated with neonicotinoid insecticides,¹ also known as “neonics.” Needless to say, since the chemical is taken up systemically through the plant, it cannot be rinsed off. 

A 2015 report² by the American Bird Conservancy revealed neonics were found in congressional cafeteria food, demonstrating just how pervasive they have become in our food supply.

Wildflowers growing around the margins of fields are also severely contaminated with neonics, and the concentrations of the toxin in the pollen and nectar of these flowers are sometimes higher than the levels found in the crop itself.³

More than half of garden plants attractive to bees sold at garden centers — such as tomatoes, squash, salvia and various flowers — are also pretreated with these toxic pesticides.^4,5 This is a travesty, as many add flowering plants to their garden to support the local pollinator population, not realizing their garden is actually contributing to the pollinators’ decline.

Neonicotinoids Are an Ecosystemwide Threat

Ironically, neonicotinoids were originally introduced as a safer alternative to other pesticides, yet studies over the years have repeatedly found the opposite to be true. As summarized in “The Environmental Risks of Neonicotinoid Pesticides: A Review of the Evidence Post 2013,” published in 2017:⁶

“Neonicotinoid pesticides were first introduced in the mid-1990s, and since then, their use has grown rapidly. They are now the most widely used class of insecticides in the world, with the majority of applications coming from seed dressings.

Neonicotinoids are water-soluble, and so can be taken up by a developing plant and can be found inside vascular tissues and foliage, providing protection against herbivorous insects.

However, only approximately 5% of the neonicotinoid active ingredient is taken up by crop plants and most instead disperses into the wider environment. Since the mid-2000s, several studies raised concerns that neonicotinoids may be having a negative effect on non-target organisms, in particular on honeybees and bumblebees …

Whilst much of the recent work has focused on the impact of neonicotinoids on bees, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that persistent, low levels of neonicotinoids can have negative impacts on a wide range of free-living organisms.”

Similarly, the American Bird Conservancy in 2013 warned:⁷

“It is clear that these chemicals have the potential to affect entire food chains. The environmental persistence of the neonicotinoids, their propensity for runoff and for groundwater infiltration, and their cumulative and largely irreversible mode of action in invertebrates raise significant environmental concerns ...”

‘Silent Spring’ All Over Again

While much attention has been given to the health and environmental dangers of widespread glyphosate use in modern agriculture, neonicotinoids are just as potent a threat. Neonics are powerful neurotoxins and, to bees, it’s 1,000 times more toxic than DDT.⁸

This class of insecticide has been identified as a leading cause of bee die-offs around the world, which in and of itself threatens the global food supply. As the treated seed grows into a plant, the chemicals travel systemically through the plant and kill insects that munch on their roots and leaves⁹ by attacking their nervous systems.

The pesticides are taken up through the plant's vascular system as it grows, and, as a result, the chemical is expressed in the pollen and nectar of the plant. One of the observed effects in bees is a weakening of the bee's immune system.¹⁰ Forager bees bring pesticide-laden pollen back to the hive, where it's consumed by all of the bees.

About six months later, their immune systems fail, and they end up contracting secondary infections from parasites, mites, viruses, fungi and bacteria. The chemicals have also been shown to trigger immunosuppression in the queen bee,¹¹ thus leading to the collapse of the hive.

Studies are now warning that birds feasting on insects killed by neonicotinoids are in decline,¹² and researchers have also found that neonics can persist and accumulate in soils.

Since the chemicals are water-soluble, they leach into waterways where other types of wildlife may be affected. As noted in a 2013 scientific review¹³ of neonicotinoids, “the prophylactic use of broad-spectrum pesticides goes against the long-established principles of integrated pest management, leading to environmental concerns.”

Indeed, the European Union banned neonicotinoids for outdoor use in 2018 due to environmental concerns,¹⁴ specifically the chemicals’ impact on the bee population. A September 12, 2019, article¹⁵ in The Revelator discusses recent research showing neonics affect far more than its target species though, both directly and indirectly.¹⁶

According to the authors, “Although many members of the ecosystem may not be exposed to sufficient doses of insecticides to suffer acutely lethal poisonings, sublethal and indirect adverse effects have been demonstrated to occur.”¹⁷

The study¹⁸ also found that American agricultural land is now “48 times more toxic to insects than it was 20 years ago,” and that neonicotinoids accounted for 61% to 99% of the toxic load in 2014. Between 1992 and 2014, neonics accounted for 92% of the total acute insecticide toxicity load. According to the authors:¹⁹

“[O]ur screening analysis demonstrates an increase in pesticide toxicity loading over the past 26 years, which potentially threatens the health of honey bees and other pollinators and may contribute to declines in beneficial insect populations as well as insectivorous birds and other insect consumers.”

Huge Songbird Decline Linked to Toxic Neonics

Research now shows neonicotinoids affect a number of species, including birds. One study,²⁰ published in the journal Science September 13, 2019, concluded the insecticide affects the migration behavior of songbirds by affecting their feeding patterns and fat stores.

The same effects were found in a previous study,²¹ published in 2017. The chemicals basically act as an appetite suppressant, the researchers found. The birds also became lethargic. By reducing migration survival, the birds fail to successfully reproduce.

Strikingly, this effect was caused by the birds eating a minute amount of neonic-treated seeds. What’s more, the effect was remarkably rapid. As reported by National Geographic:²²

“Each bird was weighed and its body composition measured before and after exposure. Birds given a higher dose of the pesticide had lost 6 percent of their body mass when weighed again six hours later.

The high dose given is comparable to a bird eating one-tenth of a single sunflower seed or corn seed treated with imidacloprid, or three or more wheat seeds, says co-author Christy Morrissey, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Saskatchewan.

‘It’s a minuscule amount, a tiny fraction of what these birds would eat daily,’ Morrissey said in an interview … Birds may suffer repeated exposure at successive stopover sites where they rest and feed. That may extend migration delays and their consequences.”

The Science study echoes results reported in renowned environmental toxicologist Pierre Mineau’s 96-page report,²³ “The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds,” published in 2013. In it, Mineau reviews 200 studies on neonicotinoids, including industry research obtained through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

The report concludes that neonicotinoids “are lethal to birds and to the aquatic systems on which they depend.” Even more disturbing, contamination levels in both surface and ground water around the world are already beyond the threshold found to kill many aquatic invertebrates. According to this shocking toxicology assessment:

• A single kernel of corn treated with this type of pesticide can kill a songbird
• A single grain of wheat or canola treated with the neonicotinoid imidacloprid can be fatal to a bird
• As little as one-tenth of a neonicotinoid-coated corn seed per day during egg-laying season can affect a bird’s reproductive capability

Neonics Used in Vain as They Provide No Benefit to Farmers

Making matters all the more tragic, studies have repeatedly shown neonicotinoids provide no significant benefit to farmers, so our food supply and environment are essentially being poisoned for no reason.

For example, an investigation^24,25 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published in 2014 found that treating soybean seeds with neonicotinoids provides no significant financial or agricultural benefits for farmers.

The researchers also noted there are several other foliar insecticides available that can combat pests as effectively as neonicotinoid seed treatments, with fewer risks.

As reported by Civil Eats²⁶ in 2015, some studies suggest reducing the use of pesticides may actually reduce crop losses. The reason for this is because neonic-coated seeds harm beneficial insects that help kill pests naturally,²⁷ thereby making any infestation far worse than it needs to be.

According to one such study,²⁸ ecologically-based farming that helps kill soybean aphids without pesticides could save farmers in four states (Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin) at least $239 million in losses each year.

Unfortunately, farmers have limited ability to avoid neonic-treated seeds due to the near-monopoly on seed. A small number of seed companies now control the entire industry, leaving farmers with few or no choices.²⁹ Seed companies also limit the crop insurance a farmer can get when using untreated seed.

A 2019 meta-analysis³⁰ by EPA scientists and economists published in Scientific Reports reached the same conclusion as in 2014: Neonicotinoid-treated soybean seed “provide negligible benefits to U.S. farmers.”

To reach this conclusion, they analyzed yield data from 194 randomized and replicated field studies performed in 14 states from 2006 through 2017. As reported by the authors:³¹

“Across the entire region, the maximum observed yield benefits due to fungicide (FST = fungicide seed treatment) + neonicotinoid use (FST + NST) reached 0.13 Mg/ha.

Across the entire region, combinations of management practices affected the effectiveness of FST + NST to increase yield but benefits were minimal ranging between 0.01 to 0.22 Mg/ha.

Despite widespread use, this practice appears to have little benefit for most of soybean producers; across the entire region, a partial economic analysis further showed inconsistent evidence of a break-even cost of FST or FST + NST.

These results demonstrate that the current widespread prophylactic use of NST in the key soybean-producing areas of the US should be re-evaluated by producers and regulators alike.”

Mounting Evidence Shows Neonicotinoids Are Too Toxic to Use

In 2013, the European Food Safety Authority released a report³² that ruled neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) are “unacceptable” for crops that are attractive to bees due to their adverse effects.

An independent review^33,34 of 800 studies conducted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, published in 2015, concluded that neonicotinoids are gravely harming not only bees and other pollinators, but also birds and various soil and herbivorous invertebrates.

In a press release, one of the researchers, Jean-Marc Bonmatin with the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, said:³⁵

"The evidence is very clear. We are witnessing a threat to the productivity of our natural and farmed environment … Far from protecting food production, the use of neonicotinoid insecticides is threatening the very infrastructure which enables it."

For Optimal Health, Limit Your Pesticide Exposure

It’s become quite clear, from toxicology studies and food testing, that our food supply is brimming with hundreds of toxic substances. Neonicotinoids are but one category of agricultural chemicals to contend with. This toxic load is a good reason in and of itself to opt for certified organic food whenever possible, including organic grass fed or pastured animal products.

Since decades’ worth of these toxins also pollute our waterways, including the sources of most if not all human drinking water, I also recommend investing in a good water filtration system for your home to ensure you are drinking the purest water possible.

Additional recommendations to limit your exposure to toxic pesticides, herbicides and insecticides include growing your own food — even those with a studio apartment or a dorm room can easily grow sprouts that can serve as a large percentage of the organic vegetables you eat — and detoxifying your lawn and garden.

If you have a lawn care service, make sure they are not using toxic chemicals. Also, avoid using toxic chemicals to control pests and weeds in your garden, and be sure the plants you add are not pretreated with neonics. You may also want to check on your child’s school pest control policy. If they have not already done so, encourage your school district to move to Integrated Pest Management, which uses less toxic alternatives.

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Those tiny miracles. God's most precious gift to us. We hold them in wonder just moments after they are born. We love them in a way we never thought we could love anyone and they love and trust us in a way that no one else ever will. Then one day, we wake up, and they're as big as we are, ready to go out in the world and make their own way, and hold their own babies in their arms, completing the natural order of life.

But for many children, the natural order of life will never be completed. Some have already died. Some will one day join the ranks of the working disabled. And others will grow old and die in state homes with the bodies of adults and the brains of babies. For these children, the natural order of life has been forever changed by manmade viral and bacterial vaccines they were required by law to use.

We are here today to witness the suffering of children, who have no voice and have no choice except the voice and choice that we, their mothers and fathers, give to them.

We stand here united in our commitment to challenge unscientific vaccine policies^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14} and oppose inhumane public health laws that violate civil and human rights.^15,16,17,18

Many of us, who made the pilgrimage to be here, know the pain of watching a healthy child die or regress after vaccination and become chronically ill or disabled.^19,20,21,22

We know the pain of being marginalized and discriminated against by doctors^{23,24,25,26,27,28,29} and government officials for standing up, speaking out and refusing to sacrifice our children in the name of the greater good.^{30,31,32,33,34}

We are here because we love and want to protect our children. And there is no power on earth greater than that love.

As mothers and now grandmothers, in 1982 Kathi Williams and I joined with other parents of DPT vaccine injured children and launched the vaccine safety and informed consent movement in America.³⁵ Through the non-profit National Vaccine Information Center, our mission since then has been to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and defend the ethical principle of informed consent to medical risk taking.^36,37

Kathi and I remember this day 33 years ago. We had spent four long years waging an epic David and Goliath battle on Capitol Hill against a rich and powerful pharmaceutical industry blackmailing Congress by threatening to stop producing childhood vaccines when, on November 14, 1986, President Reagan reluctantly signed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act³⁸ into law over the objections of drug company executives and federal agency officials.

To the bitter end, the government and drug companies wanted that Act to eliminate all vaccine injury lawsuits.^{39,40,41,42,43}

Instead, with no personal computers, no cell phones and no Internet, a small group of parents of DPT vaccine injured children managed to protect the legal right of parents to file a medical malpractice vaccine injury lawsuit against negligent doctors and to sue drug companies when there is evidence a vaccine could have been made less harmful.

For parents who did not have the money to sue, the 1986 Act created what was supposed to be a less expensive and time-consuming administrative compensation program alternative to filing a lawsuit.

For the first time, the U.S. government admitted that - just like any other pharmaceutical product - vaccines can cause severe reactions: reactions like brain inflammation, permanent brain damage, paralysis and death.

For the first time, preventing vaccine injuries and deaths was elevated to a national priority in a federal law.

Now doctors would be required to give parents vaccine and disease risk information before vaccinating children; and to record vaccine reactions in medical records and report them to a public Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. And the government would have to fund vaccine science research and make vaccines less harmful.

So, in many ways, November 14, 1986 was an historic day. But we had been fighting for so long to protect the Act from industry greed and government overreach, that we never saw the betrayal coming. On November 14,1986, we did not know that the very same lawmakers sponsoring the Act were already working behind the scenes to dismantle it.

By the end of 1987, without our knowledge, Congress quietly amended the law and handed doctors a liability shield from vaccine injury lawsuits.⁴⁴

Then, in the early 1990s, Congress added more amendments to weaken the vaccine safety provisions,⁴⁵ and allowed the Departments of Health and Justice to systematically gut the federal compensation program with rule making so fewer vaccine injured children would be compensated.^46,47 And, all along, the vaccine safety studies parents were promised were never done.^48,49

The final betrayal came in 2011, when the U.S. Supreme Court did what Congress refused to do in 1986. Ignoring the law's legislative history,^50,51 the court majority granted the request by Big Pharma,⁵² medical trade⁵³ and government⁵⁴ and effectively shielded drug companies from all legal accountability for harm vaccines do to children.⁵⁵

Today, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act looks nothing like the one signed into law in November 1986.^{56,57,58,59,60,61,62} Still, it is the only U.S. law confirming that government licensed and state mandated vaccines can and do injure and kill people.

So what else has happened since November 14, 1986? Four billion dollars in compensation has been awarded to over 6,000 Americans - but two out three vaccine victims are turned away.⁶³

Today, most of the awards go to adults injured by flu shots,^64,65,66 while thousands of families whose children have died or suffered catastrophic vaccine injuries are left with nothing but medical bills and shattered lives.⁶⁷ Clearly, public health officials do not want to concede that the risks of vaccination for children are far greater than 1 in a million.⁶⁸

About 35,000 bad health outcomes after vaccination, including injuries and deaths, are reported to the government every year.⁶⁹ That number is less than one percent of the total⁷⁰ because doctors are not penalized for failing to report.

Since 1986, nine more vaccines have been licensed and mandated for children^71,72 and there are twice as many drug companies making and selling them.⁷³

Vaccination forces atypical inflammatory responses in the body to produce artificial immunity^74,75 and, today, infants and children are subjected to that process three times as often. The numbers of childhood vaccines have tripled from 23 doses of seven vaccines⁷⁶ at a cost of $80 per child in 1986,⁷⁷ to 69 doses of 16 vaccines at a staggering cost of $3,000 per child.^78,79

But what has happened to the health of the most highly vaccinated child and young adult populations in our nation's history?

They are sicker than ever. Millions of children and young adults are filling crowded special education classrooms⁸⁰ and doctors offices in greater and greater numbers.

They are crippled by an unprecedented epidemic of chronic disease and disability marked by chronic inflammation in the brain and body,^81,82,83 which is common in most individuals diagnosed with a developmental, mental, behavior, autoimmune or allergic disorder.

• Today, 1 child in 5 is learning disabled;^84,85 in 1976, it was 1 in 17.⁸⁶
• Today, 1 child in 6 under age eight,⁸⁷ 1 in 2 adolescents, and 1 in 4 young adults is diagnosed with a mental, behavior or emotional disorder;⁸⁸
• There has been an unexplained 55 percent increase in depression and anxiety in children since 2003;^89,90,91
• Today, 1 child in 13 has a food allergy,⁹² often life threatening, and food allergies have increased 50 percent among children since 1997;^93,94,95
• Today, 1 child in 40 develops autism;⁹⁶ it was 1 in 2,500 in 1991;^97,98
• Today, 1 child in 166 has active epilepsy with recurring seizures,⁹⁹ and epilepsy is mysteriously increasing among both children and adults;^100,101
• Today, 1 child in 400 has type 1 or type 2 diabetes,¹⁰² which increased 20 to 40 percent in one decade,^103,104 and has increased 382 percent among Americans of all ages since 1988.^105,106

Millions of children and adults are suffering with other types of inflammatory brain and immune system disorders like rheumatoid arthritis,¹⁰⁷ lupus, thyroid disease, guillain barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.¹⁰⁸

On top of that, America has the worst infant mortality,¹⁰⁹ maternal mortality¹¹⁰ and life expectancy rate¹¹¹ of all developed nations. This is a failing public health report card of historic proportions. Today, everybody knows somebody who was healthy, got vaccinated and was never healthy again.

Just like the 1982 TV documentary DPT: Vaccine Roulette¹¹² and the 1985 book DPT: A Shot in the Dark¹¹³ were wake-up calls for America 37 years ago, in 2019,Vaxxed: The People's Truth movie¹¹⁴ and this Vaccine Injury Epidemic event¹¹⁵ are the latest in a long series of warnings that the health of our nation is being destroyed one child at a time.

The biggest public health emergency in America today is not 1200 cases of measles.^116,117 It is the one being covered up by government agencies working overtime with industry, medical trade and mainstream media to distract, deceive, stonewall and restrict the freedom of Americans to take back control of their health.^118,119,120

There are states in this country today, where children cannot go to daycare or get a school education without five dozen doses of vaccines.¹²¹ Pediatricians are refusing to provide medical care to children who are not strictly vaccinated according to the government schedule, even when there is a past history of serious vaccine reactions and injury.¹²²

That is because 99 percent of Americans, including most immune-compromised persons, do not qualify for a medical exemption under narrow federal guidelines.¹²³

Lucrative public-private business partnerships between federal agencies and pharmaceutical corporations¹²⁴ are making it easy for experimental vaccines to be fast tracked to licensure,¹²⁵ like ones for HIV/AIDS and herpes, influenza and TB, that will be forced on adults, as well as children.^126,127,128

The vaccine status of all Americans is being closely monitored by the government in electronic health records tracking systems^129,130,131 to make sure everyone is vaccinated from cradle to the grave with or without consent.

Science is not perfect, doctors are not infallible, and vaccines carry unpredictable risks that are greater for some people.^132,133,134

If we do not get up off our knees and stop worshipping scientists and doctors who have too little knowledge and have been given too much power, tomorrow we will not be able to get on a bus, train or plane; enter a store or sports arena; obtain a driver's license or passport, file our taxes or function in society without getting every vaccine that industry creates and the government orders us to get.

And the ones who know deep in the core of their being that children are in danger, are the mothers, who carry babies inside them for nine months and give birth and are endowed with a primal instinct God gave women so they have the courage to protect their babies from harm until they are able to survive on their own.

That biological imperative is hard wired into our DNA. It is what protects the survival of every species on this earth. And yet, mothers, who know their children best, are being bullied, ridiculed and punished if we use our intellect and listen our gut instincts and refuse to violate our conscience when caring for our children.¹³⁵

The right to autonomy and protection of bodily integrity is the first human right.¹³⁶ If you cannot voluntarily decide when and for what reason you are willing to risk your life or the life of your child, your unalienable right to life and liberty has been taken from you.

The right of the state to tell us what to do to our bodies or the bodies of our children ends where our right to protect our lives and our children's lives begins.

It is time to reject the cruel pseudo-ethic of utilitarianism propping up mandatory vaccination laws that justify child sacrifice by reducing what is moral to a mathematical equation.^137,138

When the State considers one of us to be expendable, then we are all considered expendable.

And if the State can tag, track down and force individuals to be injected with biologicals of known and unknown toxicity today, then there will be no limit on which individual freedoms the state can take away in the name of the greater good tomorrow.

We can throw off the chemical chains making us sick if we act to instill truth, transparency, integrity and compassion in government. We must elect lawmakers who believe in and will act to protect freedom of thought, speech, and conscience and reform public health laws.¹³⁹

There is no greater calling for Americans in the 21st century than to defend those civil and human rights that protect against tyranny.^140,141

We will not be silent.

We will not go away.

We will never give up.

We are the daughters and sons of liberty, and our mission continues:

No forced vaccination. Not in America.

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Bayer has been making headlines since it acquired Monsanto in 2018 for $63 billion, inheriting lawsuits alleging their (formerly Monsanto's) glyphosate-containing Roundup caused cancer and other health problems. Recent revelations also suggest the corporate giant had clandestine discussions with a media foundation aimed at promoting and protecting the company's interests.

The records obtained by The Guardian, which include email communications that took place from 2018 to 2019, suggest Bayer senior vice president Ray Kerins and external communications vice president Chris Loder had discussions with Thanos Dimadis, a communications strategist who formerly served as the executive director of the Foreign Press Association (FPA) and the related Foreign Press Foundation (FPF).¹

Bayer 'Attempts to Buy' Press Association

In exchange for Bayer becoming a "major supporter" of the FPF, as well as offering financial incentives to Dimadis personally, the FPA promised to carry out a list of planned initiatives to benefit Bayer, including:²

• Bayer vice president Loder would get a seat on FPF's advisory board and be allowed to participate in board meetings
• FPA would raise awareness about topics Bayer identified
• Bayer would not only be given advance notice of who would receive the Foreign Press awards, but the "selection of the honorary awardees for the Foreign Press awards should not be contradictory to Bayer's strategic communications plans and initiatives"
• The press association would organize forums for media influencers and journalists on topics relevant to Bayer's goals

The list goes on, with the press association offering Bayer a press conference against fake news along with multiple "background briefings" for journalists that would further Bayer's "communications priorities and strategic goals."

Dimadis also sent Bayer a list of hundreds of foreign correspondents so they could select who should be kept engaged with the company. Carey Gillam, an investigative journalist, wrote in The Guardian:³

"The emails show that Bayer's Loder … arranged a call with Dimadis on 25 June 2018 to discuss the planned initiatives. Following that call, Dimadis wrote back to Loder, copying Kerins on the 25 June 2018 email, thanking Loder for the call and saying Bayer could consider him a 'strong ally'.

He then asked for Bayer to pay him personally, separate from funding to the press association's foundation, as a 'part-time contractor'. Absent that, he asked if Bayer would add extra money to the company's yearly donation that could be directed to Dimadis after he delivered "each one of our projects".

In a 11 July 2018 emailed response, Bayer's Loder told Dimadis the company agreed to add in extra money to its FPA budget to 'influence your personal role in these projects'. 'Your efforts with the FPA Board … are very much appreciated by Ray and me and are a very good development in reinvigorating the Bayer-FPA relationship,' Loder wrote to Dimadis in that same email.

'You have been responsive to everything that Ray and I have discussed with you, and we certainly appreciate your attentiveness to this matter. We appreciate you taking action to move our partnership forward.'"

Bayer Becomes Largest Sponsor of New Press Organization

One caveat to the initiatives was that Bayer would withdraw its support if Dimadis were no longer affiliated with FPA. Such a split occurred in early 2019, with Dimadis leaving FPA and FPD and becoming president of the Association of Foreign Correspondents in the USA (AFC-USA) in partnership with Bayer and others.

"The association held an awards ceremony … in New York City featuring Kerins. Bayer is the single largest sponsor of the new press association, listed as donating $50,000," Gillam wrote.⁴ It was after Dimadis severed ties with FPF that the emails between him and the Bayer executives were uncovered, surprising staffers. Gillam reported:⁵

"FPA's vice-president, Ian Williams, said the emails show Bayer was 'attempting to buy' the press association; pursuing an arrangement in which Bayer would have control over which journalists received awards, who spoke at conferences and other events, and in return would 'feather the nest' of Dimadis. He said he was shocked that the trade-off was so 'explicit'."

Bayer Sponsors Heart Fellowship Training for Journalists

Bayer also has ties to the National Press Foundation (NPF). In November 2019, NPF sent out an email to journalists offering a four-day training program into heart health and heart disease, titled "Covering the Heart Beat."⁶

"NPF offers this professional development opportunity for journalists to enhance skills, increase knowledge and recharge their reporting on one of today's most critical issues," the course description reads, but in the fine print it's noted, "Support for this training comes from Bayer."⁷

Bayer, in addition to being a multinational pesticide company, is also a multinational drug company, with stakes in multiple cardiovascular drugs. NPF states that it has sole responsibility for the program's content, but sponsors are allowed to address the journalists at the start of the program and also receive a written evaluation of the program from journalists upon its completion.

"So the sponsor clearly gets something out of its investment – insight into what is on journalists' minds," Gary Schwitzer, founder of HealthNewsReview.org explained, adding that many journalists also accept industry money to attend such programs.⁸

Did I mention, too, that the program takes place in the winter in a warm, sunny location — West Palm Beach, Florida — and is all expenses paid? "Two months from now we will be in midwinter, late January. How about four days in warm, sunny West Palm Beach, Florida? All expenses paid. How inviting," Schwitzer quips, "But how troubling."⁹

Is Bayer Carrying on Monsanto's 'Hit List' Legacy?

Bayer's attempts to influence the media are not unique but rather reflect an industrywide practice, one that was also carried out by Monsanto via its "stakeholder mapping project."

This was essentially a collection of veritable hit lists compiled by Monsanto, containing hundreds of names and other personal information about journalists, politicians and scientists, including their opinions about pesticides and genetic engineering.¹⁰ Monsanto has even gone so far as to plant a spy in the courtroom during one of the Roundup cancer trials.¹¹

Documents obtained during the discovery process of lawsuits against Monsanto also revealed the company had been engaged in a coordinated campaign to discredit critics. Among them were Gillam and singer-songwriter Neil Young, whose 2015 album, "The Monsanto Years," was an artistic critique of the company.¹²

Internal emails also show that Monsanto paid an industry front group for the favor of publishing pro-glyphosate media, right around the time the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined it to be a probable carcinogen.¹³

The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is a nonprofit organization that claims to be a "pro-science consumer advocacy organization" with the focus of publically supporting "evidence-based science and medicine."

ACSH claims to be funded mostly by readers, but their financial statements do not reveal who, exactly, their more than $1 million in yearly revenue comes from.¹⁴ In 2015, however, internal emails revealed that Monsanto contributed to ACSH, with impeccable timing, as IARC's glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) ruling was set to be released.

The emails were first revealed as evidence during Dewayne Johnson's Roundup lawsuit. The trial, the first Roundup/cancer lawsuit to be heard, ended with Monsanto being ordered to pay $289 million in damages to Johnson, although the award was later reduced to $78 million.

In the U.S., approximately 42,700 U.S. lawsuits from individuals alleging that glyphosate caused them to develop cancer have already been filed.¹⁵ Canadian law firm Diamond & Diamond has also filed a class-action lawsuit against various makers of Roundup, including Bayer. The Canadian suit names more than 60 individuals as plaintiffs, but thousands more may have been affected.¹⁶

Monsanto's Illegal Pesticide Spraying

In November 2019, Monsanto pleaded guilty to spraying a banned pesticide on the island of Maui, Hawaii, on research crops in 2014. The chemical, Penncap-M, contained methyl parathion, a chemical banned by the U.S. EPA in 2013.

Not only did Monsanto spray the chemical despite knowing it was banned, but the U.S. Department of Justice said the company also allowed employees to enter sprayed fields after only seven days instead of having them wait the recommended 31 days.¹⁷

As part of the settlement, Monsanto must pay $10.2 million, which includes $6.2 million in criminal fines and $4 million in community service payments to the Hawaiian government. Further, while Monsanto pleaded guilty to spraying the banned pesticide, this is only a misdemeanor.

They've also been charged for two felony counts of illegally storing acute hazardous waste, for which they entered a deferred prosecution agreement. If Monsanto follows the agreement's terms for two years, which includes running an environmental compliance program in Hawaii, the felony case will be dismissed.

Bayer spokesman Darren Wallis said in a statement, "As stewards of the land, it is our responsibility to use agriculture products safely and to manage our waste correctly … We take this very seriously and accept full responsibility for our actions."¹⁸

That being said, the company also stated that they were unaware of any health or environmental problems that have occurred due to the illegal spraying and storage of toxic waste.¹⁹ It's a similar story they continue to spout surrounding glyphosate, which they are still supporting even as the health and environmental risks become undeniable.

Monsanto has a history of sordid behavior as well. Internal Monsanto emails released during the glyphosate trials suggest Monsanto-affiliated scientists questioned glyphosate's safety. As reported by Medtruth:²⁰

"In a 2014 email exchange, Monsanto toxicologist Donna Farmer warned a company spokesperson to not call glyphosate safe. 'We cannot say it [glyphosate] is 'safe' … we can say history of safe use, used safely etc,' Farmer wrote.

She encouraged the spokesperson to instead call the chemical 'one of the most thoroughly tested herbicides,' and one that 'poses no unreasonable risks to people' when used according to directions."

Further, Monsanto consultants and epidemiologists specifically warned against stating there's "no evidence" that glyphosate causes cancer, while company emails suggest Roundup had never been tested to see if it causes cancer in people, despite company claims that it was safe.²¹

Was Buying Monsanto the Worst Deal in History?

Since acquiring Monsanto, Bayer is now the largest seed and pesticide company in the world, but it might not stay that way for long, as lawsuits mount against the chemical giant. Some experts are even calling Bayer's acquisition of Monsanto "the worst deal ever,"²² but in many ways they've acquired a company that seems to fit right in with their cutthroat business model.

As for Bayer's role in influencing the media, Bayer officials rejected allegations that anything improper occurred between them and FPF and FPA. But Kathleen Bartzen Culver of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison disagreed. According to Gillam:²³

"[She] said any arrangement in which a funder is given influence into and journalistic endeavors, education and awards is improper. 'I find this stunning,' [Culver] said. 'If a journalism organization wants to accept sponsorships, it needs to remain free, fair and independent.'"

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In a new study conducted in Japan, even light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with elevated cancer risks.

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For as many as one in three people, life events or situations that pose no real danger can spark a disabling fear, a hallmark of anxiety and stress-related disorders. Researchers at Yale University and Weill Cornell Medicine report on a novel way that could help combat such anxiety. In humans and in mice, a 'safety signal' -- a symbol or a sound that is never associated with adverse events -- can relieve anxiety through an entirely different brain network than that activated by existing behavioral therapy.

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A new mechanism that contributes to adult bone maintenance and repair opens the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies for improving bone healing.

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Satisfy your sweet tooth - without the guilt - this festive season with this healthy rocky road created by Sam Wood's nutritionist Shahna Sarpi. 

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Barbecued, stir-fried or roasted, there's no doubt that Aussies love their meat. Consuming on average nearly 100 kilograms of meat per person per year, Australians are among the top meat consumers worldwide. But with statistics showing that most Australians suffer from a poor diet, and red meat production adding to greenhouse-gas emissions, finding a balance between taste preferences, environmental protection, and health benefits is becoming critical.

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Kelly tells Dr Evelyn Reich about how a 'low-risk procedure' to remove potentially precancerous cells from her cervix completely changed her libido. For good. 

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New findings reveal the prevalence of cannabis, or marijuana, use in the United States increased from 2005 to 2017 among persons with and without depression and was approximately twice as common among those with depression in 2017.

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Spending a tonne of money on post-workout massages and foam rollers? It’s time to go back to basics.

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Rich in b-group vitamins, antioxidants and even Vitamin D, dietitian Melissa Meier explains why there's a lot of reasons to love the humble mushroom. 

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Aging is a dramatic public health issue in the face of the current demographic changes: the proportion of 60 and over in the world's population will almost double by 2050. In this context, a new discovery has just broadened scientific knowledge. Researchers shed light on the mechanisms of senescence, by identifying a key protein associated with aging.

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Researchers have discovered a novel type of chemical modification in bacterial RNAs. The modification is apparently attached to molecules only when cells are under stress, and is rapidly removed during recovery.

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A prescription of short-term exercise for patients with advanced prostate cancer could help to reduce the side-effects of hormone therapy, according to new research. The trial aimed to reduce the adverse side-effects of hormone therapy such as weight gain and an increased risk of heart problems. The results show that a three month programme of aerobic and resistance training intervention prevented adverse changes in cardiopulmonary fitness and fatigue

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People who play drums regularly for years differ from unmusical people in their brain structure and function. The results of a new study suggest that they have fewer, but thicker fibers in the main connecting tract between the two halves of the brain. In addition, their motor brain areas are organized more efficiently.

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Decision-making is controlled by different nerve cells.

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The composition of suspicious powders that may contain illicit drugs can be analyzed using a quick and simple method called magneto-Archimedes levitation (MagLev), according to a new study. A team of scientists has developed the MagLev method to differentiate common street drugs in dilute mixtures. The method could complement or even replace other portable drug identification techniques, the scientists suggest.

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Repairing faulty genes to prevent and cure disease is something researchers have been working towards for many years. While Class 2 CRISPR systems show great promise as gene editing tools in human cells, a research team has now demonstrated that a Cas3-based Class 1 CRISPR system may provide a more efficient and safer alternative, carrying out successful repair of a gene mutation responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patient-derived cells.

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A team of molecular and structural biologists have found a potential new route to disabling respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) after elucidating the structure of one of its key components.

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A new study found that methamphetamine use was associated with more than twice the risk for dropping out of treatment for opioid-use disorder.

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Taking a baby aspirin every day to prevent a heart attack or stroke should no longer be recommended to patients who haven't already experienced one of these events, new research suggests.

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Researchers have shown how the chaotic electrical signals underlying irregular heart rhythms lead to the failure of standard treatments.

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There have been many headlines in recent years about the potentially negative impacts contact sports can have on athletes' brains. But a new study shows that, in the absence of injury, athletes across a variety of sports -- including football, soccer and hockey -- have healthier brains than non-athletes.

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How best to treat a patient with stable coronary artery disease (CAD)? The cardiology community has debated this question for decades, arguing whether it’s best to take a conservative or invasive approach.

The ISCHEMIA trial (ischemia means not enough oxygen is getting to the heart muscle), a new study reported at November’s American Heart Association meeting, provides some answers. This study suggests that for most, managing CAD with medications alone (the conservative approach) is as safe and effective as the more invasive strategy of cardiac catheterization and opening of the blocked artery.

Findings of the ISCHEMIA trial

ISCHEMIA followed over 5,000 patients with significant narrowing in one or more coronary arteries. Half of the patients were randomly selected to receive conservative treatment with optimal medical therapy (OMT) and lifestyle changes to treat risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The other half were given OMT and also sent for cardiac catheterization (threading of a flexible catheter into the heart arteries to look for narrowed or blocked coronary blood vessels). When blockages were found, these patients underwent placement of a small mesh tube, called a stent, to prop open the affected area. When blockages were too complex for stent placement, open-heart surgery was performed.

The findings were surprising. Many cardiologists would have predicted that the invasive strategy would be superior to the conservative strategy. The group that received stents did report greater relief of angina, or chest pain. But there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of rates of heart attack, death, or hospitalization for worsening heart pain.

Proponents of the conservative approach argue that OMT makes more sense than stenting because it addresses all the arteries in the heart, not just the small section of narrowing addressed by a stent that may be causing angina but may not represent a risk to health.

Stents still a good choice for unstable angina

Since their introduction in the 1980s, stents have been widely used in the treatment of CAD. Stents are effective at relieving angina in patients who continue to experience symptoms despite being on appropriate medicines. Angina refers to the symptoms — typically pressure or tightness across the chest — that occur when the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen-rich blood.

Angina is a symptom of advanced atherosclerosis, a process of inflammation and plaque formation that leads to blood vessel narrowing. If an atherosclerotic plaque ruptures, this can trigger the formation of a blood clot, severely and suddenly obstructing blood flow. Depending on the degree of obstruction and which artery is involved, this may cause abrupt worsening of angina, called unstable angina, or death of the heart muscle, called a heart attack. Unstable angina occurs at rest, or with increasingly little exertion.

Patients experiencing unstable angina or heart attack almost always require urgent cardiac catheterization, and often stent placement.

Medications as effective as stents for stable angina

Unlike unstable angina, patients with stable angina have more predictable, chronic symptoms that can be managed with medications. Stable angina worsens with exertion or sometimes with emotional stress, and improves with rest. Reduction of stable angina involves improving the mismatch between oxygen supply and demand. This can be accomplished either by lowering demand or improving supply.

Demand can be reduced with OMT, which may include beta blockers, which slow down the heart rate, or nitroglycerin, which decreases the work of the heart by relaxing blood vessels. Statins and aspirin are another important component of OMT, because they help to stem the progression of heart disease, reducing the risk of unstable angina or heart attack. When medication fails, blood supply to the heart muscle can be increased by removing the blockage with a stent or bypassing the blockage with open-heart surgery.

Many cardiologists have assumed that stents are effective, not only at relieving symptoms but also at preventing future heart attacks, leading many to pursue early cardiac catheterizations for their patients with stable angina. However, the ISCHEMIA trial suggests that medications are just as good at preventing heart attacks and death in stable patients.

This is welcome news for patients who previously would have been urged to have a cardiac catheterization and stent placement for stable angina. It now seems clear that these patients can be safely managed with medications alone, avoiding the risk and discomfort of the procedure, not to mention reducing healthcare costs.

Optimal medical therapy safe and effective for most with coronary artery disease

ISCHEMIA is not the first study to demonstrate that OMT is a safe and effective alternative to stent placement. But it is the most influential because of its careful design, large number of patients, and comparison of the newest stents and most current medical treatments.

So, how best to manage patients with stable coronary artery disease? A safe and effective long-term strategy for most is to start with medications and healthy lifestyle. For those who continue to be limited by angina, an invasive procedure is appropriate for symptom control. Stents relieve angina, but they do not prevent heart attacks or death.

The post Medications as effective as stents for most with coronary artery disease appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

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Along with partisan news outlets and political blogs, there's another surprising source of misinformation on controversial topics -- it's you. A new study found that people given accurate statistics on a controversial issue tended to misremember those numbers to fit commonly held beliefs.

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The flu virus is more commonly diagnosed during the fall and winter months, although it’s detectable year-round in the U.S.¹ While the exact duration may vary, most activity begins in October, peaks in January and February and caps as late as May.

During this “season,” other respiratory viruses are also prevalent, and may cause flu-like illnesses such as rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus. When it comes to treating it, the flu virus is not a bacterium and thus is not affected by antibiotics. The illness is contagious and may result in mild to severe illness. It’s an airborne disease that spreads through air droplets expelled when infected people cough, sneeze or simply open their mouths and talk.²

In 2018, the CDC found that, on average, 8% of the U.S. population suffers with the flu during flu season. Those most likely to get it are children; seniors are the least likely to get sick.

An infection with influenza virus is different from one triggered by cold viruses.³ Symptoms are usually sudden and often include fever, muscle and body aches, headache, fatigue and a cough or sore throat. However, as reported by the CDC, not everyone who gets flu will develop a fever.

Eating Keto May Protect You Against Influenza

A team from the Yale School of Medicine discovered that mice with gout that were fed a keto diet experienced reduced levels of inflammation.⁴ The team theorized the diet could have a similar effect on humans who get flu. This is important because influenza has a history of severely damaging the lungs.

The team tested the theory in a small animal model study⁵ during which they fed the intervention group of mice a high fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and the control group a standard diet.⁶ Both groups were then infected with virulent influenza A. The researchers found that after four days all the mice fed the standard diet were infected, as compared to 50% of the mice on the keto diet.

The mice eating a keto diet who did get infected did not lose as much weight — a sign of flu infection in animals. The researchers found the mice eating a ketogenic diet had an immune response that promoted the expansion of gamma-delta T cells in the lungs.⁷

In another stage of the study, the researchers used mice genetically altered to not produce gamma-delta T cells to confirm the functional importance of the specialty cells in protecting the lungs against infection. The results suggested gamma-delta T cells raise the barrier function in the lungs.

The gamma-delta T cells line the lungs and increase mucus production, which is important for protection as it traps the virus and keeps it from spreading.⁸ The researchers also found a ketogenic diet demonstrated enhanced antiviral resistance and concluded it could assist with preventing flu or alleviating the symptoms.⁹

They then questioned if it was the ketones, the high fat or reduced carbs in the ketogenic diet that affected the immune system of the mice.¹⁰ They performed two additional tests in which the mice consumed ketones in a drink or a high fat high carbohydrate diet.

Data revealed the drink had no effect, while the diet produced greater numbers of gamma-delta T cells but did not increase protection against the virus. From these results it appears each factor of a ketogenic diet is necessary to boost gamma-delta T cell production and the ability to protect against the virus.

Please note: While at least one of the study’s authors told news media that getting vaccinated against influenza is the optimal thing to do, actually there are other, better ways of fighting flu than depending on a shot, which I’ll describe later in this article.

What Does It Mean to Eat Keto?

As a rising number of people deal with chronic diseases, it’s becoming increasingly evident that what you eat is a main factor in your well-being. The standard American diet often consists of excessive protein, processed grains and carbohydrates, and refined, added sugars. Indulging in this type of diet leads to insulin and leptin resistance.

As a result, you increase your potential risk of gaining weight, developing chronic inflammation and becoming prone to mitochondrial and cellular damage. By switching to eating a ketogenic diet, you reduce your risks and improve your overall health.

To follow a standard ketogenic nutritional plan, you focus on consuming high amounts of healthy fats. Aim for 70% to 85% of your total calories from healthy fats and 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of your lean body mass. Your net carbohydrates should account for no more than 4% to 10% of your daily calories.

Since energy requirements will vary from person to person depending upon daily physical activities, there is no set limit to the amount of fat you may eat. Most calories need to come from fats, and you still need to limit carbohydrates and protein for this to be a standard ketogenic diet.

Cyclical Keto Offers Greater Flexibility and Benefits

By using a cyclical approach to eating a ketogenic diet you increase the health benefits of the diet and have greater flexibility in your meal planning. There is a three-part key to using this approach: 1) restrict net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) to 20 to 50 grams per day; 2) consume 50% to 85% of your daily calories from healthy fat; and 3) limit protein to one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

You may have vegetables without restriction as they are loaded with fiber and help offset carbohydrates. Cut out carbohydrates from grains and all forms of sugar, including high fructose fruit. Add healthy sources of fat including avocados, coconut oil, animal-based omega-3 from fatty fish, butter, seeds, olives and olive oil.

Macadamia nuts and pecans are ideal as they're high in healthy fat but low in protein. Organic, pastured egg yolks and grass fed animal products, along with MCT oil and raw cacao butter may all be included on your list of healthy fats. Avoid all trans fats and vegetable oils as they cause more damage than excess carbs.

It is important to maintain these ratios until your body is burning fat for fuel. Use keto testing strips to confirm you are in ketosis and keep in mind it may take a couple of weeks to a few months until your body is effectively burning fat.

Since too many net carbs prevent ketosis, use measuring and tracking tools such as a kitchen scale, measuring cups and nutrient tracker to be sure you're staying within limits. Once your body is effectively burning fat and you're in ketosis, begin cycling in and out by eating a higher number of net carbs once or twice a week.

On your high-carb days, triple the amount of net carbs to maximize the biological benefit of cellular regeneration and renewal. However, I caution you to choose healthy alternatives such as digestive-resistant starches, and forgo the potato chips and bagels.

To learn more about how potatoes, rice, bread and pasta are more digestive-resistant when they’re cooked, cooled and then reheated, see “This Simple Trick Can Minimize Damage From Unhealthy Carbs.”

A Ketogenic Diet Does More Than Help With Weight

Many report higher levels of energy and an easier time losing or maintaining their weight while eating keto. These benefits may be the result of how ketosis supports your mitochondrial health and reduces inflammation. As your body burns fat for fuel, the liver creates ketones, creating far less reactive oxygen species and secondary free radicals.

This then reduces the damage to your cellular and mitochondrial membranes, protein and DNA. This reduction in inflammation may also play a major role in chronic pain, including orthopedic conditions like osteoarthritis. One study found a ketogenic diet may reduce neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

As many of the aging factors are characterized by low-grade inflammation, eating a ketogenic diet may also reduce your risk of premature aging. The anti-inflammatory effect on the central nervous system has had an impressive effect on epilepsy and other neurological disorders. One of those is protection against Alzheimer's disease, associated with loss of language, memory and attention.

Scientists have also demonstrated the positive effect ketosis has on those who have experienced a traumatic brain injury, who have had an ischemic stroke or who have autism. In animal studies, those fed a ketogenic diet for 16 weeks demonstrated increases in cerebral blood flow and an increased abundance of beneficial gut microbiota and reduced blood glucose levels.

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are key drivers in chronic disease, including high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Other adverse effects that occur with insulin resistance may include heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. By improving insulin sensitivity, a ketogenic diet helps to reduce your potential risk for developing these conditions and reduces the physiological effects.

Insulin also activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). This is an important pathway to control autophagy, your body's natural cleanup process to destroy and eliminate old damaged cells and replace them with healthy ones. This plays a significant role in aging and the development of cancer.

To slow aging and reduce your risk of cancer, you want to inhibit mTOR to activate autophagy and recycle proteins. It is important to note insulin levels activate the mTOR pathway to a greater degree than excess protein.

Natural Protection Against Flu Without Side Effects

You can boost the health effects of a cyclical ketogenic diet, including supporting your immune system, by combining it with intermittent fasting as described in my article, “How to Make Fasting Easier, Safer and More Effective.” Conversely, as I mentioned earlier, there are reasons why you may want to steer clear of the flu vaccine.

According to CDC data updated in November 2019,¹¹ the overall adjusted effectiveness rates of the 2018-2019 flu vaccine against influenza A or B viruses were abysmal at best:

29% for all ages

48% for children aged 6 months through 8 years

7% for children ages 9 through 17

25% for adults between the ages of 18 and 49

14% for those over 50

12 % for those over 65

Besides that, those who get vaccinated can still spread the influenza virus to others, with those who are vaccinated for two seasons in a row shedding a greater load of influenza A virus. According to a 2014 Cochrane meta-analysis, to avoid a single case of influenza 71 people must be vaccinated. 

The vaccine also increases your risk of contracting other more serious infections. It also does not work well if you take statin drugs and is associated with permanent disability, such as paralysis from Guillain-Barre syndrome. Receiving vaccinations also compromises your natural immunity, which may lead to other adverse health effects.

So what can you do to protect yourself from flu? The answer is to begin immediately by using nutrition and sun exposure to boost your immune system. Nutrition is a vital component to maintaining and gaining a healthy immune system. This includes foods high in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D3, which you get through daily sun exposure or, if you live in an area where that isn’t possible every day, through proper supplementation.

Before beginning any supplementation program, though, be sure to check your vitamin D levels so you know how much you need to maintain good, immune-protective numbers. You should do this twice a year, and supplement accordingly if the numbers warrant it.

GrassrootsHealth has a helpful calculator that can help estimate the dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels based upon your measured starting point. The optimal level you’re looking for is between 60 and 80 ng/ml, and for all-around health, you’ll want to maintain this level year-round.

For other nutrition and food ideas to help naturally reduce your risk of getting sick this flu season, see my article, “Top Tips To Boost Your Immunity.”

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Selenium is an essential element your body requires in small amounts.¹ Like all essential elements you get it from your food, but be aware that it can be toxic at high levels if you’re taking supplements.

Selenium functions as part of the amino acid selenocysteine, found in selenocysteine-containing proteins, also called selenoproteins. Those who are deficient may find physiological responses to stress are affected. For example, in parts of Asia, selenium deficiency has been associated with a certain form of cardiomyopathy and a form of osteoarthropathy.

Levels of selenium found in plant food will vary depending upon the amount in the soil where the plants are grown. The risk of selenium deficiency can increase following bariatric surgery; those who have severe gastrointestinal conditions, such as Crohn's disease, are also at increased risk.

Others with metabolic disorders such as homocystinuria and maple syrup urine disease may need supplementation to ensure optimal levels. The dietary reference intake for selenium was revised in 2000, which currently lists 55 micrograms per day (μg/day) for adults 19 years and older. Requirements rise with pregnancy and breastfeeding to 60 μg/day and 70 μg/day respectively.

Low Selenium Level Associated With Poor Bone Mineral Density

Researchers are increasingly recognizing selenium deficiency as a health risk for a number of conditions.² As such, the authors of several studies have investigated associations with bone mineral density, thyroid function and selenium levels.

A recently published study³ appeared in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders in which the researchers examined the correlation between dietary selenium and osteoporosis in a middle-aged and older population in China. Data were collected using a “validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire,” and osteoporosis was diagnosed using bone mineral density scans.

The study began with 6,267 subjects, in which the prevalence of osteoporosis was 9.6%. Higher rates of osteoporosis were associated with lower levels of selenium; the results were consistent in men and women.

In a second study⁴ investigators sought to determine whether selenium affects thyroid function and bone mineral density. They included 387 elderly men and found that selenium levels were positively associated with bone mineral density. This appeared independent of thyroid function, which was not affected by selenium.

A group of European scientists⁵ sought to identify variations in selenium in postmenopausal women with healthy thyroid status. The researchers were looking for differences in bone turnover, bone mineral density and the susceptibility women had for fracture.

The study, published in 2012, was designed to include participants from five European cities. Those with thyroid or bone metabolism issues were excluded, leaving a study population of 1,144. Blood levels of selenium and selenoprotein P, as well as serum levels of T3, T4 and TSH were measured.

Bone turnover markers, bone mineral density and vertebral, hip and nonvertebral fractures were also recorded. Once the data were analyzed, the researchers concluded selenium levels were “inversely related to bone turnover and positively correlated with [bone mineral density],” independent of thyroid status.

Selenium Plays an Important Role in Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for many groups in the U.S. The CDC reports nearly 25% of all deaths are the result of heart disease. A number of nutrients play a role in your heart health, including the combination of selenium and CoQ10, which have been found to reduce your risk of mortality.

Low intake of selenium and reduced production of CoQ10 that occurs with age raise your risk of heart disease. Participants in one study demonstrated a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality with CoQ10 and selenium dietary supplements.

Twelve years after the study was completed, the original participants were evaluated again and it was found they continued to demonstrate a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.

Researchers also found those who used selenium and CoQ10 supplements showed significant reduction in ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure, impaired functional heart capacity and diabetes. It appeared the protective action was not confined to just the interventional period, but persisted during the follow-up as well.

At the cellular level, selenium is an active element of glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme responsible for converting hydrogen peroxide to water, and serving as the first line of defense against harmful free radicals.

Optimal Levels of Selenium May Cut Risk of Serious Disease

Unless you’re taking a supplement, it's not likely you will consume too much selenium from your food. As with other micronutrients, too much is not better. In one cross-sectional study⁶ of 5,423 participants, researchers found a higher prevalence of diabetes in those who consistently consumed higher amounts of selenium, such as might be found in a daily supplement.

Conversely, suboptimal levels of selenium have a negative affect on several bodily systems, in part associated with the role selenium plays in protecting against free radical damage.⁷ Some of the health conditions affected by suboptimal levels of this essential element include:

Recommended: Three Brazil Nuts Daily

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis affects approximately 10% of women age 60, rising to 40% of women by age 80. The condition increases the risk of bone fractures, including hip fractures notorious for raising a senior’s risk of death.

The best approach to maintaining healthy bones and preventing osteoporosis is to get sufficient nutrients your body uses to build and maintain strong bones. In addition to maintaining optimal levels of selenium, consider other strategies discussed in my past article, “How To Help Prevent Osteoporosis.”

Although it's easy to get enough selenium from nutritional sources, supplements have become more popular as the powerful benefits of selenium antioxidant activity become more well known. Seek first to get selenium from your diet to avoid toxicity from too much supplementation, or from inorganic sources that are not as bioavailable.

The best food source is Brazil nuts, which average 70 to 90 mcg of selenium per nut depending upon the selenium content in the soil.¹⁴ Just two to three of these help meet your daily requirement. In combination with other food sources such as sardines, pastured organic eggs, wild-caught salmon and sunflower seeds, you can get all the selenium you need from food alone.

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