Better brains, naturally.

Mold Hide and Seek

Laura Matheos
Guest writer

There are tens of thousands of species of molds. It’s everywhere. We live with it, breathe it, everyday. Of course not all mold is evil; penicillin is derived from a mold. But for people who are sensitive to molds, they can bring a host of health problems. You may know of the more common health issues that can be triggered by mold: congestion, coughing, asthma-like symptoms, watery eyes and itchy skin. You may also know that certain molds, commonly grouped together under the name “black mold,” can release mycotoxins that can cause serious and even life-threatening illness. What you may not realize is that a home with a mold problem could be contributing to a chronic illness. If you’re struggling with neurological issues, infection or immune challenges, mold in the environment can make inflammation worse and serve as an added hurdle your body may need to overcome before you can restore your health.

Often, you can’t control molds in the outdoors and avoidance is key. Your home, though, is a different matter and a thorough search can be well worth your time.

Common places to check

When looking into mold for the first time, most people will inspect the obvious places – the basement, the bathroom, under sinks. And these are certainly worth a good look.

• If a box in the basement is damp or musty, toss it, even it isn’t discolored. (In fact, if you’re going to store cardboard or any porous material, the basement is never a good place for these items.).
• If you have a cabinet under your sink and there’s a raised bottom inside the cabinet, remove the bottom and check the underside.
• Even if you don’t have a current leak from a drain, an old leak or spilled liquid could have encouraged mold growth where you can’t see it. If there’s mildew on the ceiling above the shower, catch it before it becomes entrenched in the sheetrock and becomes a chronic problem.
• Periodically clean the shower head and faucet screens.
• Make sure you use the exhaust fan and/or open the bathroom window whenever you shower and leave it on for a while afterward.

The mold you see is often a sign that there’s more that you can’t see.

Less obvious places

• Most showers and tubs have an access panel in an abutting closet or vanity – a place that allows access to the plumbing. Open that area to check for leaks.
• Also check the attic, especially in the insulation below any breaches in the roof, like the holes surrounding vents and exhaust pipes. If the seal around these pipes is damaged, water can seep into the insulation below.
• Inspect areas prone to condensation, like walls near windows and behind toilet tanks.
• Also check the drip pan under your refrigerator and remember to use humidifiers in basements and damp areas.
• Any water damage from a heavy rain needs to be handled quickly, as mold can become a problem in as little as 24 hours.

My home-test for mold

Sometimes the mold you’re looking for is obvious: black or green fuzzy stuff growing where nothing fuzzy should be growing. Sometimes mold can be hard to see with the eye. One thing I like to do is fill a spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide. When I suspect an area, I squirt it with the peroxide (assuming there’s no risk of bleaching or damaging a nearby material). If it fizzes, I know I’ve hit catalase – an enzyme released by damaged cells. It may or may not be mold but I know it’s organic material and probably has no business growing in my shower head or on my basement floor joists.

Just use caution before becoming the sharpest shooter in the West—use a face mask, eye protection and gloves during your inspection and any peroxide shoot-outs. Dying mold spores release the very toxins you’re trying to eliminate. Breathing toxins or getting peroxide in your eyes while on your quest is about as far away from protecting your health as you can get. This is only a suggestion for detecting mold or cleaning small, well ventilated areas.

If you happen to discover larger areas of mold during your search, please, please take precautionary safety measures and use products specifically meant for mold. Procedures for cleaning an area smaller than 5’x5’ can be found on mold web sites. Areas larger than this should be handled by professional mold remediators.

Next article: Tackling a moldy washing machine!

 

Causes of autism can occur before, during, and after birth. That about covers it.

Getting confused about what might cause autism? Small wonder. Research suggests risk factors play a role before conception, during fetal development, and after birth.

After decades of emphasis on autism being a hereditary condition, interest has shifted to environmental risk factors. A recent twin study showed that genetics accounts for only about 37 percent of the risk, the rest is environmental.

Here's a quick synopsis of just some of the research and theories:

Before conception Studies show that prior to conception, certain medications taken by the mother, maternal infection or diabetes, and exposure to toxins can all increase risk of autism. The age of the parents may play a role, the birth order of the child. . . and more.

During pregnancy: Maternal exposure to toxins and pesticides, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as nutritional and hormonal imbalances can all put the fetus at increased risk for autism.

After birth: Premature delivery, low birth rate, and oxidative stress can play a role; theories abound on environmental insults that can trigger the condition and many issues await more research. While the media carries the message of mainstream medicine, insisting that vaccines do not play a role, studies do not fully support this position.

The latest "during" discovery

Scientists have determined that brains of autistic children may have too many brain cells; their brains are also heavier than those without autism. Brains of deceased boys' were used in the study. Researchers focused on the prefrontal cortext which is responsible for social, emotional, and communication/language development. This abnormality, they suggest, occurs during fetal development. See the report here.

Stay tuned. More factors are surely right around the corner. 

Getting the word out on PANDAS

One of the biggest obstacles parents face when trying to find help for children with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) is the lack of awareness of the condition by medical and school communities.

Pandas Network, founded by Diana Pohlman, provides a resource library of medical studies and a large number of case histories. It's an excellent site where professionals and families can learn more about PANDAS and related autoimmune conditions.

The network recently highlighted two news clips featuring cases where children developed PANDAS. The first video clip is from station NBC Fort Worth, and describes how a strep infection led to significant and sudden behavioral and emotional changes in a young boy. See: How strep can turn into a serious condition.

In the second video, from WKYC, we see the impact of strep on Jason Dudinec, an 11-year-old boy who suddenly developed OCD and tics; handwriting skills also deteriorated. Proper treatment improved symptoms. This program uses the phrase "catching OCD" simply because someone can catch the strep infection that may, in a small percentage of people, lead to this autoimmune condition. See: Catching OCD.

We hope parents will continue to come forward and share their stories with the media to help spread the word on PANDAS.

Readers are invited to participate in our Latitudes.org active forums on PANDAS and other neurological disorders.

The country requiring the most infant vaccine doses has the highest infant mortality rate

Yes, that would be the United States.

Those demanding scrutiny of vaccine policies have reason to be encouraged. First, the Center for Disease Control has finally agreed to examine data linking vaccines to Tourette syndrome, autism, and other neurodevelopmental disorders as part of a five-year effort. (See plans here).

Now, study results released May 4, 2011 show that when comparing countries around the world, nations requiring the most vaccine doses tend to have the highest infant mortality rates.

The U.S. childhood immunization schedule requires 26 vaccine doses for infants aged less than 1 year, the most in the world, yet 33 nations have better infant mortality rates.

The authors say that while the U.S. needs to lower preterm birth rates, it must also inspect correlations between vaccine doses, biochemical or synergistic toxicity, and infant mortality rates, adding “all nations—rich and poor, advanced and developing—have an obligation to determine whether their immunization schedules are achieving their desired goals.”

The full article from Human and Experimental Toxicology: "Infant mortality rates regressed against number of vaccine doses routinely given: Is there a biochemical or synergistic toxicity?" is available for no charge here.  

Co-enzyme Q10 for Depression

Researchers in Belgium suggest that CoQ10 supplements may benefit those with depression who do not respond well to standard treatment and have chronic fatigue syndrome. In the study, CoQ10 blood levels were significantly lower in patients with treatment resistant depression and symptoms of chronic fatigue than in other depressed patients. See study abstract here.

Additionally, it is known that depressed patients are at increased risk for coronary artery disease and heart failure. The authors suggest that low CoQ10 levels can be one factor that explains the higher risk of cardiovascular disorders in depression. Statins (drugs used to lower blood cholesterol levels) significantly lower CoQ10 levels. 

CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and an essential component of all body cells. Immune responses, detoxification, and other bodily processes require CoQ10. While our bodies produce it, not everyone does so effectively and standard diets are often deficient in CoQ10.

Alcohol, Tourettes and Tics Revisited

Previously, a reader wrote to ask about the interaction between alcohol and tics or Tourette syndrome. The question and answer was featured in our article: Can Alcohol Increase Tourette Syndrome Symptoms? Dr. Albert Robbins provided the response. A follow-up question came in:

Can these reactions ever subside? For the past 2 weeks my tics have flared out of control. I've also been drinking a lot the past 2 weekends.

Dr Robbins:

Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps to metabolize alcohol. It can be purchased at a pharmacy or healthfood store. Also, too much alcohol can drive magnesium, glutathione and a number of B vitamin levels in the body lower. Nutrient supplementation for these may be helpful.

Anything that helps to metabolize the alcohol and get it out of the body more quickly will probably help, like going to the gym and getting on the stair climber for 30 minutes or jogging for half an hour. Or getting in a sauna and sweating it out.

But the best future plan of action and my advice for Tourette patients would be to learn something from a bad experience. Try not to repeat the same mistakes over and over when you see reactions, whether to drink, certain foods, or other situations.

If you have trouble with peer pressure, when someone offers you a drink you could say that you are on medication that prohibits you from drinking alcohol. Ask for a tomato juice, orange juice or water.Try to strengthen your sense of discipline and limit or stop the alcohol drinking completely if it affects you so adversely. You'll feel that much stronger and confident in yourself.

Dr. Albert Robbins, DO

Exposure to Exhaust in Womb May Lower IQ

It is well known that lead exposure can lower I.Q. in children. We now know that prenatal exposure to a common pollutant compound can also be detrimental to intellectual development. 

In a study this year, fetal  exposure to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), common in automobile exhaust and coal-burning fuel, were shown to result in lower I.Q. for kids by age five.

Dr. Michal Jerrett of the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley said: "Children exposed to prenatal or in-utero air pollution from traffic oftentimes have lower birth weights, somewhat smaller head circumferences, and a number of adverse outcomes." 

The research was reported Pediatrics. It signals a dire need for improved air emission standards. ACN suggests that personal efforts to ensure clean air in the home with filtration systems may be beneficial, and special air filters for cars are also available. Sadly, many living in cities use public transportation or cannot afford the cost of air filters.

For more on PAH  see Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Mercury and Mental Health

How would you like to receive a diagnosis of chronic mental illness, be placed on leave from your job, and be tormented by depression, insomnia, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts—when your real problem was too much tuna fish? It happened to a young teacher in Alberta, Canada.

A published report on this man in the Journal of Forensic Science demonstrates the role toxic exposures can play in mental health. The teacher was suicidal by the time he reached Dr. Stephen Genuis, MD. A member of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, the doctor ran tests that revealed high levels of mercury. It was learned that the teacher had eaten canned tuna everyday for years. After changing his diet and undergoing treatment to reduce mercury levels, the patient started to improve. Within eight months, he was symptom-free, discontinued his medications, and returned to work.

Genuis notes that a range of environmental toxins can affect brain function, emotion, thinking, and behavior. He suggests that chemical toxicants should always be considered when a patient is demonstrating neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Source: “Toxicant exposure and mental health—individual, social, and public health considerations,” Stephen J. Genuis, Abstract: Journal of Forensic Science, Vol. 54, No.2, March 2009.

51 Pesticide Residues on Fresh Green Beans

A blog reader told us about What'sOnMyFood.org. On this site you can select a type of food (like poultry liver or strawberries) and learn which pesticides have been detected in samples. After that sobering news, you can find out what percentage of the time each pesticide was present, and how hazardous it is. U.S. and imported foods are included, and organics are compared with conventional foods.

The site reports hazards of each pesticide 

You will learn these details:

• Is the pesticide a known carcinogen (or just probable or possible)?
• A neurotoxin?
• A hormone disruptor?
• A developmental or reproductive toxicant?

Looking at green beans and butter

Since it's summertime I decided to check conventional fresh green beans. That's how I learned there are 51 types of pesticides that might be used on them. About 30% of the time, two different known neurotoxins were found among those. For butter, 80% of the time a cancer-causing pesticide was found. 

You decide

We hear lots of discussion on how expensive organic foods are, and people question whether they are really worth the difference in cost. After a careful review of this site, you can make your own decision.

Plastics Causing Low Birth Weight in Infants

A group of chemicals called phthalates are known to cause serious health problems including disruption of the endocrine, reproductive, immune, and brain/nervous systems.

The Environmental Working Group says sources of phthalates include:

• Personal care products: deodorant, fragrances, hand lotion, insect repellent, shampoo, soap
• Water: sewage sludge, tap water, water treatment 
• Industrial air pollution
• Environment: agriculture, industrial water pollution
• Miscellaneous: medical tubing, rocket propellant
• Consumer products: adhesives, detergents, flooring, inks, paints and coatings, plastics, rubber

A new study shows that maternal exposure to the chemical compound causes low birth rate in babies. Seventy percent of infants studied had phthalates in their systems, and those with higher levels had the low birth weights.

It's impossible to escape all exposures, especially because they are not clearly marked on products. But you can check the list above and make it a point to completely avoid those you can, or select natural alternatives.

This MSNBC article shares some tips, with a focus on going fragrance-free.