Killing Off the Monarchs

By Dr. Mercola

The Monarch butterfly population in North America is in serious trouble. Their numbers are shrinking at a staggering rate because so much of their habitat, the milkweed plant, has been destroyed by destruction of grasslands for the purpose of growing pesticide resistant corn and soy.

Milkweeds are critical to the Monarch’s survival because they’re the only food source for Monarch larvae. The Monarch and the milkweed plant evolved together over the centuries.¹

Not only are milkweeds the primary source of food for these butterflies and their young, but a bitter toxin in the milkweed actually protects them from predators throughout their lifespan, and Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed leaves. Fewer milkweeds mean fewer Monarchs.

Milkweed is very susceptible to being killed by glyphosate, the chemical in the herbicide Roundup that’s used prolifically on Monsanto’s Roundup Ready™ genetically engineered crops.

Milkweeds that used to abundantly line the Monarch’s flight path have been largely eradicated by modern agriculture.² Not only are chemicals killing the milkweeds, but prairies are being replaced by cornfields, and roadsides are being mowed where milkweeds previously grew wild.

Experts estimate the North American Monarch population has plummeted by 91 percent over the last two decades. In 1996, the wintering habitats of Monarchs covered some 50 acres of the Mexican highlands, but last winter they occupied a paltry 1.66 acres—the lowest on record.³

At the population’s peak, in winter of 1996-1997 there were one billion Monarchs, but only 35 million remain today. These magnificent insects can only be saved by protecting their critical habitat, and unless we act quickly, they face certain extinction.

The Amazing Butterfly Migration

The PBS documentary, The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies, chronicles the remarkable 2,000- to 3,000-mile annual migration of these iconic insects from Canada to a tiny microclimate in the highlands of Mexico. Only North American Monarchs make this migration.

Their destination is an area of only 60 square miles in central Mexico's Transverse Neovolcanic Range. The timing couldn’t be more precise—the butterflies leave Mexico around March 21st each year and begin trekking north on September 21st—timed with the equinoxes!

This schedule is so predictable that their arrival is a highly anticipated event for the Mazahuan people of Mexico who believe the butterflies are the returning souls of their ancestors. Their arrival even marks a Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead.”

The migration is a marvel of nature, especially for a small creature with such fragile wings. Scientists are still puzzling over how they are able to navigate thousands of miles—whether by Earth’s magnetic field or the angle of the sun or by some other mechanism—and how they have such finely tuned internal clocks that they can arrive en masse in one location on the same day each year.

They can only fly when conditions are perfect... too hot, they overheat. Too cold, they get sluggish and can’t flap their wings. Rainstorms can be deadly.

They must cross miles of open water—the Great Lakes—in constantly shifting winds, when they can’t see across to the other side. They must cover 50 miles a day with predators lurking everywhere. Danger also awaits them in Mexico, where their forest habitat continues to shrink from illegal logging.

Since all North American Monarchs overwinter in a highly confined region, one major winter storm could wipe out the entire species. For example, during one winter when the population was much more robust, a single storm killed off 75 percent of the Monarch population. We can’t control winter storms, but we CAN curb pesticide application.

Restoring Native Grasslands is Critical for All Life on Planet Earth

Nearly a billion pounds of Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup is dumped on fields and our lawns each year.

The documented harmful effects of glyphosate extend not just to critical pollinating insects, but also to soil, plant, animal, and human health. It's becoming increasingly clear that glyphosate is doing FAR more harm than anyone ever expected.

Last winter marked the lowest Monarch count on record at a time when other pollinators such as honeybees, native bees, birds, and bats—vital to US agriculture and therefore the nation's economy—also are facing serious decline.

Monarchs do their fair share of pollination, especially on corn.^4,5,6 Genetically engineered (GE) corn now accounts for 93 percent of corn grown in the US,⁷ so you can see how these butterflies can no longer avoid Monsanto’s path of ruin. GE crops are typically the most heavily sprayed, as “Roundup Ready” crops are designed to withstand otherwise lethal doses of this chemical.

This corn also produces its own insecticide, Bt, which is also toxic to insects. Many equate modern farming techniques with “progress,” when in fact many of our technological advancements are now threatening to destroy us right along with the entire planet.

There are major differences between industrial farming and regenerative agriculture, and the foods produced by the former cannot be equated to the foods produced by the latter. GE plants and industrial farming contributes to every form of environmental devastation, while organic farming methods support, restore, and rejuvenate the ecosystem.

Monsanto or Monarchs—Which Will It Be?

Bill Freese of the Center for Food Safety advocates restricting the spraying of glyphosate late in the growing season, when milkweed is flowering and more likely to be killed.⁸

Freese also supports measures to restore some milkweed plants to farmland, noting that farmers and weed scientists have not found milkweed to be much of a problem.

Of course, representatives of Dow Chemical and Monsanto disagree. Monsanto spokesperson Charla Lord is quoted as saying, “To a farmer, milkweed is a weed that competes with crops in the field for water, soil, and nutrients.”⁹ They will defend their chemicals to the bitter end.

Fascination with the Monarch is not enough to save the species—you must take action. The remainder of this article will discuss several ways you can help save our precious pollinators.

Action Step #1: Petition for Classifying the Monarch as 'Threatened'

The outlook is so grim for Monarchs that in August of 2014, the US government embarked on a major campaign to save them. Scientists from several organizations, including the Center for Food Safety, filed a petition¹⁰ urging US Fish and Wildlife Service to classify Monarch butterflies as “threatened” under the US Endangered Species Act.

This dovetails with a 2014 White House memorandum¹¹ calling for a federal strategy to promote the health of honeybees and other pollinators, by way of a multiagency Pollinator Health Task Force. The petition also urges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and President Obama to protect the Monarchs' breeding habitat by halting the approval of Monsanto Roundup Ready™ and other glyphosate-resistant and pesticide-promoting GE crops. As noted by the Los Angeles Times:¹²

"Since federal glyphosate rules were last updated a decade ago, its use has spiked tenfold to 182 million pounds a year, largely due to the introduction and popularity of corn and soybeans genetically modified to resist the herbicide... ‘The tenfold increase in the amount of glyphosate being used corresponds with huge losses of milkweed and the staggering decline of the Monarch,’ said Sylvia Fallon, an NRDC senior scientist. 'We are seeking new safeguards desperately needed to allow enough milkweed to grow... The good news is that butterflies are resilient and can rebound quickly... All they need is milkweed on which to lay their eggs.”

Action Step #2: Ask Retailers to Stop Selling Pesticide-Treated Plants

If you live in the US, I would also encourage you to contact your local Lowe’s store, either by phone or in person, and ask them to stop selling bee-killing pesticides and neonicotinoid-treated plants. Neonicotinoid pesticides are a newer class of chemicals that are applied to seeds and taken up through the plant’s vascular system as it grows, where it’s expressed in the pollen and nectar that pollinators consume. For contact information, see Lowe’s Store Locator page.

Action Step #3: You Can Support Bee and Butterfly Populations from Home

To avoid harming bees and other helpful pollinators that visit your garden, swap out toxic pesticide and lawn chemicals for organic weed and pest control alternatives. Even some organic formulations can be harmful to beneficial insects, so be sure to vet your products carefully. Better yet, get rid of your lawn altogether and plant an edible organic garden. Both flower and vegetable gardens provide good honeybee habitats. It's also recommended to keep a small basin of fresh water in your garden or backyard, as bees actually do get thirsty.

In order to support the Monarch butterflies, consider planting a locally appropriate species of milkweed in your garden, on your farm, or wherever you manage habitat. You can use the Milkweed Seed Finder to locate seeds in your area. Whatever you choose to grow, please avoid purchasing pesticide-treated plants. Cut flower growers are among the heaviest users of toxic agricultural chemicals, including pesticides, so if you must buy cut flowers, make sure you select only organically-grown and/or fair trade bouquets.

Ideally, you'll want to grow your own pollinator-friendly plants from organic, untreated seed, but if you opt to purchase starter plants, make sure to ask whether or not they've been pre-treated with pesticides. Keep in mind that you also help protect the welfare of all pollinators every time you shop organic and grassfed, as you are actually “voting” for less pesticides and herbicides with every organic and pastured food and consumer product you buy. You can take bee preservation a step further by trying your hand at amateur beekeeping. Maintaining a hive in your garden requires only about an hour of your time each week, benefits your local ecosystem—and you get to enjoy your own homegrown honey!

Does Smiling Cause Wrinkles?

By Dr. Mercola

If you develop deep smile lines in old age, consider yourself lucky. It’s a visible sign that you’ve been blessed with a life full of smiles. Of course, not only smiles will be revealed.

Any time you make a facial expression, whether that be a smile, a frown, or a scowl, it causes movement in underlying facial muscles, which will form a groove perpendicular to the movement.

In the case of smiles, two grooves known as the nasolabial folds form. These are the two skin folds that run down from your nose to the corners of your mouth. When you’re young, your skin’s elasticity helps it bounce back so that the folds disappear when you stop smiling.

But as you get older and your skin begins to change – due to less elasticity, less fat, muscle atrophy and other factors – the folds no longer fade away. In fact, if you don’t yet have facial wrinkles you can probably predict where they’re going to turn up just by making a few expressions in the mirror.

Your unique pattern of expression lines will likely predict your pattern of future persistent wrinkles.¹ There’s nothing inherently unhealthy about wrinkles, although one study did find that people have a harder time reading emotions when they’re displayed on a wrinkled face.

The ramifications of this could mean that the elderly might be misread socially or have a harder time achieving rapport in everyday interactions.² Ultimately, however, wrinkles are more of a cosmetic problem, albeit one that could cause you some psychological stress.

While some people view wrinkles as distinguished, more than half of those surveyed by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery said they are bothered by wrinkles on their face.³

Should You Stop Smiling to Prevent Wrinkles?

You may have heard certain celebrities state that they try not to smile too often because smiling causes wrinkles. But suppressing a smile also means suppressing positive emotions that enhance your well-being. Thinking positive thoughts and then smiling as a result can make you happier.⁴

When you smile at others, they’re also more likely to smile back in return, creating an ongoing feedback loop that may lead to more positivity in your life and the lives of others.

In order for this to work for wrinkle prevention, you’d have to suppress not only smiles but virtually every facial expression, which would leave you looking emotionless and, likely, unapproachable. It might even affect your ability to feel emotions, if studies on Botox injections are accurate.

Botox injections paralyze the underlying muscles that cause facial wrinkles and in so doing limit your ability to make facial expressions. The evidence is fairly compelling that it would be prudent to avoid this strategy, as it is only a temporary fix and will likely worsen the problem long term.

Research involving people who received Botox injections revealed they had less emotional response to video clips and did not feel their emotions as deeply as people who had received a different cosmetic procedure (one that does not paralyze muscles).⁵

One of the study’s researchers noted:⁶ “For at least some emotions, if you take away some part of the facial expression, you take away some of the emotional experience.”

What You Eat Influences Your Skin Health

If you’re interested in preventing wrinkles, pay attention to your diet. One of the most profoundly effective ways to create the most attractive glow for your skin is by consuming vegetables and fruits that are high in carotenoids.

Carotenoids give red, orange, and yellow fruits their color, and also occur in green vegetables. Studies have shown that eating foods with these deeply colored pigments can make your face actually look healthier than being tanned.⁷ One of the most potent carotenoids is astaxanthin.

The more red and yellow tones found in your skin, the more attractive the people were found to be. The redder tones are caused when people are flushed with blood, particularly if the blood has lots of oxygen in it.

Researchers found that, given the choice between skin color caused by suntan and skin color caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin color, so if you want a healthier and more attractive skin color, you are better off eating a healthy diet.

In order to have clear, healthy skin, you need to make sure your body is relatively free of toxins as well, so cleansing your body of dangerous substances while putting in the finest nutrients is essential. The organs responsible for providing you with beautiful skin include your liver, kidneys, adrenals, thyroid, and your large and small intestines.

• Your liver and kidneys are the two organs that filter out impurities on an ongoing basis. If your diet is less than ideal, these two organs can easily become overtaxed, which can lead to breakouts and other skin problems.
• Your adrenals make many essential hormones, such as pregnenolone, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormonal imbalances can also result in problematic skin conditions, so adrenal function is important as well.
• A well-nourished, energetic thyroid also provides hormones and works closely with your adrenals to create energy. Dry, flaky, sluggish skin can be evidence of a weak thyroid.
• Your small and large intestines provide nutrients to all your organs and remove waste products from your body. When waste meant for elimination remains in your intestines your skin becomes thick, oily, and blemished. Pure, flawless skin is typically a reflection of clean intestines.

Four Dietary Tips to a Healthier Complexion

Eating a healthy diet as described in my nutrition plan, which focuses on whole, bioavailable organic foods, is your number one strategy for helping your body detox naturally while supplying the necessary nutrients your skin needs to thrive. That said, some foods are particularly effective at promoting beautiful, clear skin, including:

• Animal-based omega-3 fats: Omega-3 fats help to normalize skin lipids and prevent dehydration in the cells. This keeps skin cells strong and full of moisture, which can help to decrease the appearance of fine lines.

Fatty acid deficiency can manifest in a variety of ways, but skin problems such as eczema, thick patches of skin, and cracked heels are common. Plus, omega-3 fats may have an anti-inflammatory effect that can help to calm irritated skin, giving you a clear, smooth complexion. Sardines and anchovies are excellent sources of animal-based omega-3s, as is krill oil.

• Vegetables: Ideally fresh, organic and locally grown. Fresh vegetable juice is also wonderful for your skin. Also consider astaxanthin as a supplement as it is one of the most potent carotenoids.
• Fermented foods are even better as they can start with the same vegetables but are converted by bacteria to superfoods, which help promote the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria and aid in digestion.

Signals from these gut microorganisms are sent throughout your body—they even interact with organisms in your skin. Researchers are now looking into how these interactions can help with a wide variety of skin conditions, including dryness and poor collagen production.

• Avoid Sugars, Fructose and Grains: This is probably the single most important step you can take to improve your skin health. If you eliminate all sugars, fructose and grains from your diet for a few weeks there is a major likelihood you will notice rapid improvement in your complexion.

Get Regular Sunshine, but Do Shield Your Face

Regular sun exposure (without sunscreen) is essential to good health. Contrary to what you may have heard, the sun can actually be protective of your skin and may reduce your risk of cancer (including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer) by increasing your vitamin D levels. However, shielding your face from the sun is a habit I recommend. This will help keep it looking youthful longer, as UVA rays do tend to cause wrinkling and other skin damage.

Your face, which is the most important cosmetic component of your body, is a relatively small surface area, so shielding it while exposing large portions of your body instead is not going to make a big difference in terms of vitamin D production. This is why most cultures have traditionally worn a hat when in the sun.

I personally use a cap that puts a shade around my eyes and my nose. I do that just to protect my skin, because the skin is very thin on your face and highly sensitive to the photoaging effects of UVA. I rarely ever use sunscreen and virtually never get sunburnt. But I also take astaxanthin regularly, which serves as an internal sunscreen.

As previously mentioned, astaxanthin is a carotenoid. It is produced from marine algae in response to exposure to UV light. This is the way the algae protects itself, so it makes perfect sense that this deeply pigmented substance would have the capacity to "shield" you when it is taken in large enough quantities for a long enough time to saturate your body's tissues. Typically, this takes several weeks of daily supplementation. Astaxanthin—a potent antioxidant—can also be used topically and a number of topical sunscreen products contain it. Some sunscreens are also starting to use astaxanthin as an ingredient to protect your skin from damage.

What Else Works for Reducing and Preventing Wrinkles?

While I don’t recommend avoiding facial expressions tied to emotions, consciously relaxing your facial muscles if you’re feeling tense can help to keep wrinkles at bay. Psychological acupressure techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be helpful for this. Similarly, sleeping on your face may cause wrinkles to appear over time because of the continuous pressure and pulling of your facial skin. Try sleeping on your back or varying your sleeping positions so that you don’t create permanent creases in your skin. In addition:

• Exercise, especially high-intensity interval exercise. This leads to a natural increase in your body’s production of human growth hormone (HGH). HGH plays an integral role in maintaining youthfulness and strength, and there is some evidence that it also has effects on epidermal cells, dermal structures and wound healing, which means it plays a role in skin health as well.⁸
• Drink more water. When the outermost layer of the epidermis (your skin’s outer layer) lacks water, your skin becomes rough and dry. While it’s not entirely clear whether drinking more water can counteract dry skin, it stands to reason that a hydrated body is conducive to hydrated skin. You should drink enough water so that your urine is a very pale yellow.
• Use coconut oil. When absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, coconut oil helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple. It also helps exfoliate the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother. You’d also be wise to start eating coconut oil as well, because it may help protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals (while offering numerous other health benefits as well).

For topical use, you can use coconut oil by itself or add your favorite essential oil. (Make sure you're using a high-quality essential oil that is safe for topical application.) You can even try whipping the coconut oil with an electric mixer to produce a fluffy moisturizer that stays soft and spreadable even in cooler temperatures.⁹

Road Salt Leading to Rising Chloride Levels in Streams, Study Finds

By Dr. Mercola

Every winter, the US spends more than $2 billion to remove snow and ice from roadways, a cost that includes over 15 million tons of salt.¹ Salt is effective and efficient, as it lowers the freezing temperature of water, making it more difficult for ice to develop and accelerating melting.

Research has shown that de-icing roadways with salt reduces accidents by 88 percent and injuries by 85 percent.² It also helps states to mitigate the estimated $700 million in daily losses that can occur if roads become impassable.³

At least 26 states currently use salt to de-ice roads, a practice that only became widely used in the US after World War II. Since then, as salt use on roadways has continued to climb, so, too, have the related concerns.

Road Salt Is Accumulating in Dangerous Levels in the Environment

Salt is highly corrosive, for starters, to vehicles, bridges, and other steel components of roadways. Damage from salt corrosion is estimated to cost the US up to $19 billion per year.⁴

Then, when the snow and ice melt, the salt (sodium chloride) dissolves into sodium and chloride ions, which make their way into the environment.
Much of the salt ends up accumulating in waterways, where it can wreak havoc on local freshwater biology and microbiology.

One study in Minnesota found that about 70 percent of the road salt applied in the Twin Cities metro area is retained in the area’s watershed.⁵ As Eurek Alert reported:⁶

“They found that the chloride concentrations (salinity) in 39 metro area lakes have increased over the past 22 years, following a similar trend in road salt purchases by the state of Minnesota.

Both show a marked increase from 1984 to 2005, which if continued would double salinity in these lakes in about 50 years. Compare this with a near zero concentration in the 1950s, when road salt application began.”

Chloride concentrations equivalent to one teaspoon of salt in five gallons of water (230 mg/L) can harm aquatic life and affect the taste of drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends levels be kept below this amount, but a study by the US Geological Survey (USGS) found that 40 percent of urban and suburban streams tested in the northern US had levels at or above this threshold.⁷

Environmental and Health Risks of Salting Roadways

Elevated chloride levels may inhibit plant growth, impair reproduction and reduce the diversity of organisms in streams, according to USGS. As Slate reported:⁸

“A heavy influx of sodium and chloride ions—which is what you get when salt dissolves—will disrupt the ability of freshwater organisms to regulate how fluid passes in and out of their bodies.

Changes in the salinity of a pond or lake can also affect the way the water mixes as the seasons change, leading to the formation of salty pockets near the bottom and biological dead zones.”

There are other ramifications as well. Animals including moose and elk may be attracted to roadway salt and have a higher risk of being killed by vehicles. Birds may mistake the salt crystals for seeds, which can result in toxicosis and death.

When animals drink melted snow that has high concentrations of road salt in it, it may lead to symptoms of salt toxicity, including weakness, confusion, and dehydration.

Trees and other plants near roadways may also be damaged by salt, even if they’re more than 600 feet away.⁹ Even the health of the soil is impacted by road salt. According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services:¹⁰

“This causes depletion in the soil as well as changes the soil permeability causing the soil to become impervious which blocks water infiltration, reduces soil stability, and decreases the soil pH and overall fertility.

Salt can have impacts on soil biota, soil welling and crusting, soil electrical conductivity, soil osmotic potential, soil dispersion, and structural stability. Salt can inhibit some soil bacteria compromising soil structure and inhibiting erosion control mechanisms and increasing sediment in runoff.”

As for human health, the EPA requires that drinking water maintain levels of sodium below 20 mg/liter, although the USGS found about 2 percent of wells they tested had levels that exceed this amount.¹¹

USGS Reports Rising Levels of Chloride in Most Urban Streams

USGS has been testing water from 19 US streams, in some cases for decades, and the most recently analyzed data showed chloride levels increased substantially in 84 percent of the urban streams.¹² On average, chloride concentrations often exceeded toxic levels in northern US streams, and the frequency of these toxic occurrences nearly doubled in two decades.¹³ In addition:

• 29 percent of the sites tested exceeded the EPA’s chronic water-quality criteria for chloride by an average of more than 100 days per year
• 13 of the streams had increasing chloride concentrations even during the summer, which suggests chloride infiltrates groundwater and is “slowly released to the streams throughout the year”
• Chloride levels increased more rapidly than development of urban land near the study sites, likely due to increased salt application rates and greater snowfall

The study found that de-icing activity was the primary source of environmental chloride in urban areas of the northern US, and researchers noted that “road de-icing by cities, counties, and state agencies accounts for a significant portion of salt applications.”

Other contributors include salt use by public and private organizations (salting driveways, parking lots, and walkways, for instance). Wastewater treatment, septic systems, farming operations, and natural geologic deposits may also contribute some salt to the environment.

It should be noted that it’s not only the salt from road de-icing that is raising concerns. Road-salt additives include ferrocyanide, which is used as an anti-caking compound.

This compound was added to the EPA’s list of toxic pollutants in 2003 because it can release cyanide ions into the environment when exposed to certain types of bacteria and sunlight.¹⁴ Heavy metals may also be found in road salt and can contaminate waterways along with the salt.

Experts Call for Road-Salt Alternatives: What Are They?

USGS researchers called for “deicer management options that minimize the use of road salt while still maintain safe conditions.” According to the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation in Cold Climates, there are such options, including:¹⁵

Pre-salting roads. Spreading salt about two hours before a storm hits helps prevent ice from sticking. The EPA estimates this can reduce salt use by 41 percent to 75 percent.	Wetting the salt: Wetting the salt may help it to spread more easily, cutting down on the amount used.
Not spreading salt when the pavement is too cold. Salt generally does not help when applied to pavement below 15 degrees F.	Using less salt: Researchers from the University of Minnesota recommend just one to three cups of salt per 1,000 square feet.16
Using other chemicals: In areas where sodium levels in water are high, calcium chloride is sometimes used in lieu of salt. It’s more corrosive but it doesn’t harm vegetation.	Beet juice and pickle brine: These are sometimes used to help salt stick to roadways and minimize runoff.

When these types of best-management practices are used, the University of Waterloo found that chloride levels in groundwater could be reduced by half.¹⁷ There are other potential alternatives in the works as well, including “smart snowplows” that use salt more efficiently (such as by detecting already-salted roadways and measuring the temperature of the pavement). One day there might even be pavement that resists freezing or that can be heated up to melt ice.

In the meantime, you can help on an individual level by minimizing the salt you apply on your driveway and walkways. Shoveling early after a storm will help minimize the need for salt, and if you do need to use it, try a mixture of pre-wetted sand and salt (1:1) to minimize the release of chlorides.

Antiperspirants Can Make You Smell Worse by Altering Armpit Bacteria

By Dr. Mercola

Sometimes “the cure” leads to a worsening of the very problem you’re trying to solve. Such may be the case when it comes to antiperspirants. As reported by Real Clear Science,¹ antiperspirants affect the bacterial balance in your armpits, leading to an even more foul-smelling sweat problem.

The reason your sweat smells is because the bacteria living in your armpits break down lipids and amino acids found in your sweat into substances that have a distinct odor.

Antiperspirants address this problem using antimicrobial agents to kill bacteria, and other ingredients such as aluminum that block your sweat glands. According to the featured article:

“To uncover how deodorants and antiperspirants affect armpit bacteria... a team of researchers recruited eight subjects for a task a great many people (and especially their friends) might deem unbearable:

Six males and two females pledged not to use deodorant or antiperspirant for an entire month. Specifically, four subjects stopped using their deodorants and another four stopped using their antiperspirant deodorant....

Another control subject who did not regularly use either was asked to use deodorant for a month. The duration was chosen because it takes approximately 28 days for a new layer of skin cells to form.”

What Happens When You Use Antiperspirant?

Every subject in this study ended up altering the bacterial composition of their armpits. While it was a challenge to determine the exact changes, since every person’s microbiome is distinct and individual, the researchers did find one clear trend.

Those who used antiperspirants saw a definitive increase in Actinobacteria. These bacteria are hugely responsible for that foul-smelling armpit odor. Other bacteria found living in people’s armpits include Firmicutes and Staphylococcus, but the odors they produce are milder, and they’re not produced quite as readily.

The situation here is much like it is in your gut. When you eat foods or take drugs that kill off beneficial bacteria, more potentially harmful microbes are allowed to take over the turf.

Here, the less odor-causing bacteria are killed off by the aluminum compounds (the active ingredient in most antiperspirants), allowing bacteria that produce more pungent odors to thrive instead.

In some participants, abstaining from antiperspirant caused the population of Actinobacteria to dwindle into virtual nonexistence. The take-home message: using an antiperspirant can make the stink from your armpits more pronounced, while quitting antiperspirants may eventually mellow the smell.

Unfortunately, altering the microbiome in your armpit isn’t the worst thing that can happen when you regularly use antiperspirants. 

Aluminum-Containing Antiperspirants May Promote Cancer

The aluminum chloride in antiperspirants, which blocks your pores from releasing sweat, may also contribute to an increased cancer risk. Aluminum chloride actually acts similarly to the way oncogenes work to cause molecular transformations in cancer cells. 

Aluminum salts can also mimic estrogen, and previous research has shown that aluminum is absorbed and deposited into breast tissue.² The researchers actually suggested that raised levels of aluminum could be used as a biomarker for identification of women at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Aluminum is also widely recognized as a neurotoxin, and Alzheimer’s patients typically have elevated levels of aluminum in their brains. While there are other sources of aluminum, antiperspirants are a major one, as most people use it on a daily basis.

Aluminum salts can account for 25 percent of the volume of some antiperspirants, and in one study³ reviewing the most common sources of aluminum exposure for humans found that antiperspirant use can significantly increase the amount of aluminum absorbed by your body.

According to the review, about 0.12 percent of the aluminum applied under your arms is absorbed with each application. When you multiply that by one or more times a day for a lifetime, it can up to a massive amount of aluminum—a poison that may be more toxic than mercury!

Parabens in Antiperspirants Have Also Been Implicated in Breast Cancer

Parabens are another common ingredient in antiperspirants, and research⁴ examining parabens suggests chronic antiperspirant use may lead to a heightened risk of cancer as well, specifically breast cancer.

The research in question looked at where breast tumors were appearing, and determined that higher concentrations of parabens were found in the upper quadrants of the breast and axillary area, where antiperspirants are usually applied. One or more paraben esters were found in 99 percent of the 160 tissue samples collected from 40 mastectomies.

Parabens are chemicals that serve as preservatives in antiperspirants and many other cosmetics, including suntan lotions. Previous studies have shown that all parabens have estrogenic activity in human breast cancer cells.

This research really raises a red flag, and while the authors note that the source of the parabens cannot be established—in fact seven of the 40 patients reportedly never used deodorants or antiperspirants in their lifetime—it tells us that parabens are problematic, regardless of the source.

It just so happens that antiperspirants and deodorants contain parabens and are used on a daily basis by most women, and the parabens they contain can bioaccumulate in breast tissue.

Even Natural Deodorants Can Contain Aluminum and Parabens

There are many brands of chemical-free, aluminum-free deodorants on the market, and many of these are safe alternatives. But you do need to carefully read the list of ingredients. "Crystal" deodorant stones often claim to be aluminum-free, but some still contain a compound known as alum; the most common form being potassium alum, also known as potassium aluminum sulfate.

Potassium alum is a natural mineral salt made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed by your skin. It works by forming a protective layer on your skin that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. While this may be a better alternative to most antiperspirants and deodorants on the market, it’s not completely aluminum-free... When shopping for an alternative, also remember to avoid any product containing parabens.

Bacteria-Containing Lotions and Potions—a New Frontier Opens Up

In a recent New York Times article,⁵ Julia Scott writes about her participation in a test group trying out a living bacterial skin tonic. The concoction is created by AOBiome. 

“The tonic looks, feels and tastes like water, but each spray bottle of AO+ Refreshing Cosmetic Mist contains billions of cultivated Nitrosomonas eutropha, an ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) that is most commonly found in dirt and untreated water,” she writes. “AOBiome scientists hypothesize that it once lived happily on us too — before we started washing it away with soap and shampoo — acting as a built-in cleanser, deodorant, anti-inflammatory and immune booster by feeding on the ammonia in our sweat and converting it into nitrite and nitric oxide.”

For the test, she agreed to mist her face, scalp, and body with the live bacteria twice a day for a month. The theory that adding rather than eradicating bacteria from your body might produce better results seems rather logical, considering what we now know about the gut microbiome, and how the bacterial balance in your armpits affects your sweat odor. And, while Scott reports mixed results, the creators of AOBiome are all long-time users of the product.

“Jamas, a quiet, serial entrepreneur with a doctorate in biotechnology, incorporated N. eutropha into his hygiene routine years ago; today he uses soap just twice a week,” Scott writes. “The chairman of the company’s board of directors, Jamie Heywood, lathers up once or twice a month and shampoos just three times a year.

The most extreme case is David Whitlock, the M.I.T.-trained chemical engineer who invented AO+. He has not showered for the past 12 years. He occasionally takes a sponge bath to wash away grime but trusts his skin’s bacterial colony to do the rest. I met these men. I got close enough to shake their hands, engage in casual conversation and note that they in no way conveyed a sense of being ‘unclean’ in either the visual or olfactory sense.”

It Doesn’t Take Much to Eradicate Beneficial Bacteria

Among the benefits, Scott reports improvements in her complexion: softer, smoother skin, fewer breakouts, and smaller pores. Indeed, the cosmetics industry has already taken note. According to Audrey Gueniche, a project director in L’Oréal’s research and innovation division, the skin microbiome “has revolutionized the way we study the skin and the results we look for,” Scott writes. The company has already patented several bacterial treatments. There are also countless potential uses in the medical field. For example, there’s a strong correlation between eczema flare-ups and an increased number of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on the skin, which has scientists pondering the possibilities for treating the skin disorder with the appropriate skin bacteria.

“As my experiment drew to a close, I found myself reluctant to return to my old routine of daily shampooing and face treatments,” Scott writes. “I asked AOBiome which of my products was the biggest threat to the ‘good’ bacteria on my skin. The answer was equivocal: Sodium lauryl sulfate, the first ingredient in many shampoos, may be the deadliest to N. eutropha, but nearly all common liquid cleansers remove at least some of the bacteria. Antibacterial soaps are most likely the worst culprits, but even soaps made with only vegetable oils or animal fats strip the skin of AOB.

...In the end, I tipped most of my products into the trash and purchased a basic soap and a fragrance-free shampoo with a short list of easily pronounceable ingredients. Then I enjoyed a very long shower, hoping my robust biofilm would hang on tight. One week after the end of the experiment, though, a final skin swab found almost no evidence of N. eutropha anywhere on my skin. It had taken me a month to coax a new colony of bacteria onto my body. It took me three showers to extirpate it.”

Do You Really Need an Antiperspirant? My Recommendations

My personal recommendation when it comes to antiperspirants is to avoid them. It’s been well over 40 years since I quit using antiperspirant or deodorant--even natural ones.  I noticed they would cause a yellow stain in the armpit of my shirts.  At first I thought the stain was due to my sweat but I quickly realized it was the chemicals in the antiperspirants. Even as a college student, I realized if the chemicals can destroy my clothes, it probably wasn’t good for my body, so I elected to avoid it. I find that regularly washing my armpits with soap and making sure my diet is clean with minimal sugar and plenty of fermented vegetables are all that is needed to keep my armpit odor from being offensive.

About the only time I use soap on any body part other than my armpit or groin is when I am doing heavy woodchip work and am covered with woodchip dust. Most of that dust I simply spray off with a hose. If you still need further help, try a pinch of baking soda mixed into water as an effective all-day deodorant. A couple of years ago, I also noticed that if I sunbathe my armpits regularly, the UV light actually “sterilizes” the area. Even when I don’t use soap and water, there’s still no detectable odor at all. The drawback is that the effect is not long-lasting. The bacteria repopulate in a few days unless you expose your armpits to sunlight on a regular basis.

Soap tends to remove the protective sebum that is full of beneficial fats that your body uses to protect your skin. So sad and wasteful that so many regularly use soap to wash their entire skin surface and remove this protective covering and then pay money to apply lotions to restore what they just removed. The irony is that most of the lotions are far inferior to sebum and many, if not most, are loaded with toxic ingredients that ultimately will worsen your health.

Science is clearly showing that your body’s microbiome plays a major role not just in your health, promoting or warding off skin diseases for example; it can also dramatically alter things like body odor. So, it’s really in your best interest to work with your microbiome, rather than against it. Doing so could help you avoid all sorts of chemical toxins that most people slather on themselves without thinking twice about what it’s doing to their microbiome, or their health.

7 Foods That Will Taste Better Now Than They Will All Year

By Dr. Mercola

When you take a trip to your local grocery store, it’s easy to take the displays of fresh produce for granted – along with the fact that out-of-season produce is available virtually year-round. Pineapples in the Midwest in the middle of winter? Green beans in February?

No problem, if you live near a supermarket. Yet, there’s something to be said for choosing your produce seasonally. That is, focusing your meals around the foods that are naturally at their peak of ripeness.

Eating Seasonally Tastes Good and Is Good for You

According to the ancient science of Ayurveda, seasonal eating helps with digestion, because it favors easier-to-digest foods in the winter when your body is hard at work burning energy to keep you warm (and therefore theoretically has less energy to devote to digestion).

Seasonal produce will be fresher, too, which means its nutrients won’t have time to degrade like the same food left to sit in cold storage for days or weeks. One study found that in-season broccoli (fall) contained nearly twice as much vitamin C as out-of-season (spring) broccoli.¹

The seasonality of the broccoli had an even bigger impact on vitamin C levels than whether it was organically or conventionally grown. When you eat seasonally, you’re also supporting the environment and your local community, because to get in-season foods you often have to shop locally.

In 2010, thousands of chefs voted cooking with seasonal locally grown produce as the top food trend … but there’s nothing “trendy” about it. People have been eating seasonally since the beginning. As the Cleveland Clinic put it:²

“Eating foods when nature produces them is what people the world over have done naturally through most of history, before mega-supermarkets dotted the landscape and processed foods became ubiquitous.

Seasonal eating is also a cornerstone of several ancient and holistic medical traditions, which view it as integral to good health and emotional balance.”

7 Foods That Taste Best in Winter

Perhaps best of all, seasonal produce will be at its peak in flavor, too, even if it’s in the middle of winter. Many winter-season vegetables taste better after a frost. This is because as temperatures drop, the cold causes the plants to break down energy stores into sugar, leading to a sweeter, tastier flavor.³

With that in mind, the seven foods that follow taste best in the winter, making them ideal to add to your seasonal shopping list.

1. Kale

One cup of kale contains just around 30 calories but will provide you with seven times the daily recommended amount of vitamin K1, twice the amount of vitamin A and a day's worth of vitamin C, plus antioxidants, minerals, and much more.

This leafy green also has anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent arthritis, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases – plant-based omega-3 fats for building cell membranes, cancer-fighting sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, and an impressive number of beneficial flavonoids.

Kale has a 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio – an exceptionally high amount of protein for any vegetable, and one reason why it has recently been acclaimed as the “new beef.”

Surprisingly, like meat, kale contains all nine essential amino acids needed to form the proteins within your body: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine – plus, nine other non-essential ones for a total of 18.

Kale’s sometimes-bitter flavor becomes sweeter in winter and, impressively, kale can survive temperatures as low as 10 degrees F.⁴

2. Brussels Sprouts

Like kale, Brussels sprouts become sweeter in winter, so if you think you don’t like them, try them again now. One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains just 56 calories but is packed with more than 240 percent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) for vitamin K1, and nearly 130 percent of the RDA for vitamin C.

Plus, Brussels sprouts are a good source of fiber, manganese, potassium, choline, and B vitamins. They even contain protein. But not only do Brussels sprouts contain well-known antioxidants like vitamin C…

They also contain others that are much less known – but equally as important, like kaempferol, isorhamnetin, caffeic, and ferulic acids, and the relatively rare sulfur-containing compound called D3T (3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione).

This means that when you eat Brussels sprouts, you’re helping your body to ward off chronic oxidative stress, which is a risk factor for many types of cancer and other chronic diseases.

You can steam Brussels sprouts and toss them with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, or butter. You can roast them and quarter them, then toss them like a salad with onions, feta cheese, and balsamic vinegar.

If your Brussels sprouts become overly “smelly,” mushy, or turn a muted green, they’re probably overcooked. Ideally, they should be bright green with a slightly crisp texture and pleasant, nutty/sweet flavor, even after they’re cooked.

3. Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is German for “cabbage turnip,” which is actually a spot-on way to describe this vegetable’s flavor. This is a great plant to add to your winter garden, as it thrives in cool weather. When planted several weeks before a frost, you can expect a harvest in just a few weeks.⁵

This root vegetable is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, along with such nutrition superstars as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.

Glucosinolates, which are sulfur-containing compounds found in kohlrabi, appear to have anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and antibacterial benefits.

Kohlrabi can be cooked as you would carrots or turnips, but it can also be eaten raw (and this may be the best way of all).  Kantha Shelke, a food scientist at Corvus Blue LLC and spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), told TIME:⁶

“Kohlrabi’s chemopreventive effects makes it particularly healthy … Kohlrabi contains isothiocyanates which are effective against cancer. The chemopreventive compounds are more bioavailable from fresh–about three times as much as from cooked–kohlrabi.

 The higher bioavailability is associated with a higher chemopreventive activity, which might be the reason why raw kohlrabi is preferentially consumed by health-conscious people.”

4. Mustard Greens

Mustard greens have a peppery flavor that’s better after a frost, and they make a perfect warming food on a cold winter day. Notably, they are a phenomenal source of vitamin K1 (providing 922 percent of the recommended daily value in just one cup) and vitamin A (96 percent of the recommended daily value).

Mustard greens are another standout member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, with research showing they rank second only to Brussels sprouts in terms of the cancer-fighting glucosinolates they contain.  

If you’re trying to balance out your cholesterol levels, mustard greens may help, as they bind to bile acids in your digestive tract. According to the George Mateljan Foundation:⁷

“When bile acid binding takes place, it is easier for the bile acids to be excreted from the body. Since bile acids are made from cholesterol, the net impact of this bile acid binding is a lowering of the body's cholesterol level. It's worth noting that steamed mustard greens (and all steamed forms of the cruciferous vegetables) show much greater bile acid binding ability than raw mustard greens.”

5. Parsnips

Parsnips are root vegetables that resemble carrots but are whitish in color and have a sweet, nutty flavor. Their flavor is best after a hard frost. Parsnips are rich in nutrients like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin C. Eating foods rich in potassium is important because this nutrient helps offset the hypertensive effects of sodium. An imbalance in your sodium-potassium ratio can lead to high blood pressure and may also contribute to a number of other diseases, including heart disease and stroke.

6. Collard Greens

Collard greens outshined even mustard greens in their ability to bind to bile acids in your digestive tract, which may help support healthy cholesterol levels.⁸ Plus, like mustard greens, they’re rich in vitamins K1 and A, along with cancer-fighting glucosinolates that support healthy detoxification and fight inflammation. Collard greens also contain a wealth of antioxidants, including not only vitamins C and A but also vitamin E, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol. This will help your body to ward of chronic oxidative stress, which may contribute to chronic disease and premature aging. Like the other winter vegetables mentioned, collard greens become sweeter after a frost.

7. Cabbage

Some types of cabbage can be grown in temperatures as low as 26 degrees F.⁹ What is cabbage good for? Cabbage contains powerful antioxidants like vitamins A and C and phytonutrients such as thiocyanates, lutein, zeaxanthin, isothiocyanates, and sulforaphane, which stimulate detoxifying enzymes and may protect against breast, colon and prostate cancers. Cabbage also contains a wealth of anti-inflammatory nutrients to help keep inflammation in check.

Among them are anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol that’s particularly plentiful in red cabbage, although all types of cabbage contain anti-inflammatory polyphenols. Cabbage also contains healthy amounts of B vitamins, including folate (which is better than the synthetic form known as folic acid found in many supplements), vitamin B6, vitamin B1, and vitamin B5. B vitamins are not only important for energy, they may also slow brain shrinkage by as much as seven-fold in brain regions specifically known to be most impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.

Starting a Winter Garden

Many people assume that the best time to start a garden is in early spring. Depending on where you live, however, you can garden virtually year-round. Even in the northernmost areas of the US, a wide variety of vegetables can be grown during the winter, especially with the assistance of a few simple temperature-shielding strategies, such as cold frames, cloches and row covers. For your winter garden, your most important date to know is your "first frost" date. You'll want to plant your seeds early enough that the plants will be established before getting subjected to a light freeze. So your first step is to check your hardiness zone to see when your first frost is expected.

Most winter veggies are planted in mid to late summer so they are strong and ready for when the temperatures drop, and then ripe for harvest in winter or early spring. Timing this depends on how long each plant takes to reach maturity. And, remember, some vegetables, such as those listed above, develop a better flavor after a frost, so you’ll need to plan accordingly. The following tables list the best vegetables for a winter garden and how long it takes each to mature, on average.

There are certain varieties of each veggie that are more suitable for cooler temperatures, and the seed packet often gives you this information. If not, make use of the staff's expertise at your local nursery—they usually know what varieties perform best in your area and are usually eager to help. With a bit of planning, next winter you can be feasting on parsnips, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and more, all grown right in your own backyard.

90 Days to Maturity

Beets	Carrots	Parsnips	Rutabagas
Brussels sprouts	Globe onions	Garlic	Cabbage
Broccoli	Cauliflower	Fava Beans

60 Days to Maturity

Early carrots	Leeks	Turnips	Kohlrabi
Early cabbage	Collard greens	Swiss chard	Peas
Kale

30 Days to Maturity

Chives

Radishes

Leaf lettuce

Spinach

How Factory Farms Destroy Drinking Water Worldwide

By Dr. Mercola

Two of the primary polluters of our world and destroyers of our environment are also the primary sources of our food: large-scale, factory-style crop farms (both genetically engineered (GE) and conventionally-grown food crops), and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

GE crop fields and CAFOs tend to go hand in hand—especially in the US—and they not only deplete aquifers of valuable drinking water, they also pollute what little fresh drinking water remains.

Most people don’t realize that agriculture uses 70 percent of the world’s fresh water. This is a challenge because over one billion of the seven billion people on Earth don’t even have access to safe, clean drinking water.

Add to that the soil destruction and depletion that’s occurring courtesy of modern agricultural practices and it’s quite clear that our primary food suppliers also pose a very serious threat to the future of our food and water supplies...

A Business Insider¹ article published in August last year shows aerial photos of factory farms across the US that reveal, in disgusting detail, how the American countryside is being destroyed by their presence.

At present, the vast majority of the major food crops grown in the US are genetically engineered, and 99 percent of food animals in the US are raised in these large-scale feedlots. Yet many Americans still do not realize exactly how their food is raised or grown, and all the “hidden” costs associated with factory-style farming.

Des Moines, Iowa Sues Over Fertilizer Runoff

According to the Environmental Protection Agency² (EPA), US states with high concentrations of CAFOs report 20-30 serious water quality problems annually. In Iowa, factory farms are now accused of polluting two rivers that supply drinking water to the city of Des Moines.

High levels of nitrates have been detected in the water, which is both difficult and costly to remove. Des Moines’ water utility spent $900,000 on nitrate filtering in 2013, and is now threatening to sue three neighboring counties (Sac, Buena Vista, and Calhoun Counties) over the fertilizer runoff tainting these rivers.

According to Bill Stowe, general manager of the Des Moines Water Works, the public water supply is “directly risked by high nitrate concentrations." As reported by NPR:³

“Stowe says the source of these nitrates is pretty clear. Farmers spread nitrogen fertilizer on their corn fields, it turns into nitrate and then it commonly runs into streams through networks of underground tile pipes that drain the soil.

Those drainage systems are managed, in some cases, by county governments, and Des Moines Water Works is now proceeding on the theory that those governments can be held legally responsible for the pollution that their pipes carry.

When they build these artificial drainage districts that take water, polluted water, quickly into the Raccoon River, they have a responsibility to us and others as downstream users... We need to get down to specific steps that they need to take. If they aren't willing, we'll see them in federal court."

Unfortunately, the toxic waste created by factory farms cannot be completely contained or eliminated, no matter what you do. It has to go somewhere, even if it doesn’t go directly into a valuable water source.

The long-term solution is to alter our farming practices to root out toxic chemicals and soil additives, and to grow crops in such a way that the farm is contributing to the overall health and balance of the environment rather than polluting it and creating a dysfunctional ecosystem.

Victory Against Polluting CAFOs in Oregon

In related news, the Community Association for Restoration of the Environment (CARE) and Center for Food Safety (CFS) recently won a summary judgment⁴ against four CAFO dairies in Lower Yakima Valley, accused of violating critical environmental protection laws.

According to the lawsuit, the massive above-ground manure lagoons at these dairies leak toxic waste such as nitrates and other pollutants into soils and public water supplies, thereby posing a major threat to public health and the environment.  

In 2012, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a report⁵ showing that 20 percent of the 331 wells tested in the Lower Yakima Valley had nitrate levels above federal drinking water standards, and more than 24,000 residents rely on water from these private wells.

The health hazards of nitrates include blue baby syndrome, cancer, autoimmune diseases, reproductive problems, and more. According to the press release:⁶

“The groups have won summary judgment, confirming that industrial dairies’ manure indisputably threatens public health. The decision affirms CARE and CFS’s argument that the manure management practices of these industrial dairies may contribute to drinking water contamination, are insufficient to protect public health and the environment, and that these industrial dairies should be held responsible.

 ...Today’s landmark decision connects these industrial dairies to contamination of the drinking water of thousands of Lower Yakima Valley residents.

 ‘It is long past due that these dairy factories be held accountable for their toxic waste and compromising of human health,’ said George Kimbrell, senior attorney for Center for Food Safety. These dairies’ practices harm drinking water and the environment, and we are gratified that the Court agrees that such pollution is unlawful.”

Next, the groups will proceed to trial, where the court will be provided with evidence to establish what needs to be done to clean up this toxic mess. Jessica Culpepper, Food Safety and Health attorney at Public Justice noted that:

“This precedent-setting victory is a clear indication that mega-dairies like Cow Palace may not continue to operate in a way that dumps their mess on the people and the environment.

By creating far more manure than the dairy could possibly manage and allowing its facility to operate under filthy conditions, it has endangered not only the environment and a community’s drinking water supply, but the health and safety of the animals, the farmworkers, and dairy consumers as well.”

Indiana Senator Introduces Bill to Thwart Moratoriums on New CAFO’s

Victories such as the one just mentioned are becoming increasingly important in light of the power of the agricultural lobby, which is constantly fighting to keep regulations on these mega operations as loose and carefree as possible. In response to rising numbers of moratoriums against new CAFO’s in Indiana, state Senator Jean Leising introduced Senate Bill 249, which would prevent a county, municipality or township “from adopting an ordinance, resolution, rule, policy, or other requirement” that prohibits the building of any livestock structure, provided the operation is in accordance with zoning and state laws.

According to environmentalist attorney Kim Ferraro, who is the water and agriculture policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council:⁷ “It’s one thing to want to be a state that promotes agriculture. It’s a whole other thing to completely strip the rights of local governments and citizens to protect themselves from harm.”

Indiana already has laws on the books that encourage the building of CAFOs and restrict local governments’ ability to pass ordinances to prevent new factory farms from being built. Laws have also been passed that make it more difficult for residents to win a nuisance lawsuit against CAFOs for noxious odors, for example. Former Jay County commissioner Milo Miller Jr has described Leising’s bill as a “bunch of crap,” adding:  

“They say they want the counties to have local control, but it’s ‘Do it our way’. What kind of local control is that? Who knows what’s best in the county? The state legislature or the county officials?”

Fresh Water Supplies at Risk Across the Globe

Water pollution is a serious problem around the world, primarily as a result of toxic agriculture practices. A story in The Blade⁸ discusses a new study⁹ that suggests many of the world’s lakes are at risk due to farm fertilizer runoff, which feeds harmful blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Once this algae is established, it’s more difficult to get rid of it than previously thought. “Nitrogen and phosphorus in the algae itself gets recycled and combines with fresh runoff to form more algae, resulting in a near-perpetual cycle of goopy green stuff that is difficult to break in certain bodies of water,” the article explains.

The answer, according to the authors of this study, is better land-use management that addresses fertilizer runoff. A dramatic reduction in fertilizer use is also recommended. Lead author and Dartmouth College biology professor Kathryn Cottingham believes that “aggressive reductions in runoff could yield immediate benefits.”

At Current Rate, There’s Only Two Generations of Topsoil Left...

A related problem is topsoil destruction and erosion, which is exacerbated by tilling, monocropping, and not using cover crops. According to Maria-Helena Semedo of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), if the current rates of degradation continue, all of the topsoil around the world will be gone in 60 years. If that’s not a sobering thought, I don’t know what is. That means we have less than two generations’ worth left of “doing business as usual.” After that, it’ll be game over because without topsoil you cannot grow food, no matter how many chemicals you throw on top of it.

“Unless new approaches are adopted, the global amount of arable and productive land per person in 2050 will be only a quarter of the level in 1960, the FAO reported, due to growing populations and soil degradation,” Scientific American¹⁰ writes.

Taking Control of Your Health Is Part of the Solution

There’s absolutely nothing sustainable about our current farming model. Instead of producing ecological balance and food for the masses, the result is global hunger, pollution, and water scarcity... Fortunately, there are answers; it’s just a matter of implementing them on a wider scale. Solutions include carbon sequestration techniques, regenerative land management practices, and holistic herd management. We must shift our focus to emphasize the biological system as a whole. Rebuilding functional ecosystems from the ground up will restore them to their fullest potential, and this needs to be our primary focus.

While the principles of regenerative farming are really ancient knowledge, it's not widely discussed or implemented. There's only a small segment of the population that even understands this natural system, and the potential it has for radically transforming the way we feed the masses AND protect the environment at the same time. This segment is slowly growing, however. And, while you may not be able to do anything about how large-scale commercial farms are being run at the moment, you can make a difference for yourself, for your family, and your community that might have residual effects.

Buying organic, thereby avoiding any and all GE foods is, I believe, a crucial step. This includes buying grass-fed or pastured animal products, such as beef, chicken, milk, and eggs. Besides that, you can also grow your own organic vegetables. If you take advantage of the farm-fresh sustainability that's becoming more prevalent as people take control of what they're consuming, you'll realize many benefits. First, you'll know where the foods you and your family eat come from, ensure optimal nutrition, and protect the health of future generations. The following organizations can help you locate farm-fresh foods in your local area that has been raised in a humane, sustainable manner:

• Local Harvest -- This Web site will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
• Eat Wild: With more than 1,400 pasture-based farms, Eatwild's Directory of Farms is one of the most comprehensive sources for grass-fed meat and dairy products in the United States and Canada.
• Farmers' Markets -- A national listing of farmers' markets.
• Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals -- The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
• FoodRoutes -- The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSAs, and markets near you.

High-Fiber Diet Linked to Disease Prevention and Lower Mortality

By Dr. Mercola

I've been interested in the health benefits of fiber for a long time—so much so, my classmates nicknamed me "Dr. Fiber" when I was in medical school in the '70s. This was mostly stimulated by reviewing studies by Dr. Denis Brukitt, who has a lymphoma named after him. He passed away about 20 years ago.

I've since come to appreciate that the type of fiber in your diet, as well as your gut health, play a major role in harnessing fiber's health potential while avoiding its potential pitfalls.

High-Fiber Diet Reduces All-Cause Mortality

Mounting research suggests that a high-fiber diet can help reduce your risk of premature death from any cause, likely because it helps to reduce your risk of a number of chronic diseases. This includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. As discussed in the featured video, research also shows it can help heart patients live longer.

Studies have also linked a high-fiber diet to beneficial reductions in cholesterol and blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation—all of which can influence your mortality risk.

One recent meta-analysis¹ evaluating the impact of a high-fiber diet on mortality pooled data from 17 different studies tracking nearly 1 million Europeans and Americans. As reported by Scientific American:²

"Yang's team divided participants into five groups based on their daily fiber intake. Those in the top fifth, who ate the greatest amount of fiber daily, were 16 percent less likely to die than those in the bottom fifth, who consumed the least amount of fiber.

In addition, eight studies showed a 10 percent drop in risk for any cause of death with each 10-gram per day increase in fiber intake."

Another recent study^3,4 produced similar results. Here, every 10-gram increase of fiber intake was associated with a 15-percent lower risk of mortality, and those who ate the most fiber had a 25-percent reduced risk of dying from any cause within the next nine years, compared to those whose fiber intake was lacking.

Research⁵ published in 2013 also found that for every seven grams more fiber you consume on a daily basis, your stroke risk is decreased by seven percent. This equates to increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables by about two additional portions per day.

Why Cereal Grains May Be Counterproductive

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends getting 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed. A more general recommendation is to make sure you get 20-30 grams of fiber per day. I believe about 32 grams per day is ideal.

Unfortunately, most people get only half that, or less—despite the fact that most people eat diets high in grains. Part of the problem is that your best source of dietary fiber comes from vegetables and most people simply aren't eating enough veggies...

The featured article⁶ cites a researcher who suggests that cereal grains may offer "the best risk reductions for colorectal and cardiovascular disease." I disagree with recommendations to boost your consumption of cereal grains, because this completely ignores the issue of glyphosate contamination in many modern grains.

For example, about 15 years ago, farmers began dousing non-organic wheat with glyphosate just before harvest—a process known as desiccation—which increases yield and kills rye grass.

As a result, most of the non-organic wheat supply is now heavily contaminated with glyphosate, which has been linked to celiac disease and other gut dysfunction. Needless to say, this is the exact converse of what you're trying to achieve by adding fiber to your diet... Cereal grains may have been a good source of fiber in the past, but not anymore.

Moreover, a high-grain diet tends to promote insulin and leptin resistance, and that, too, is counterproductive as it actually promotes many of the chronic diseases that healthy fiber can help reduce, most notably type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Besides, most whole grain products on the market are highly processed, which further deteriorates their value. Instead, focus on eating more vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The following whole foods, for example, contain high levels of soluble and insoluble fiber.

Psyllium seed husk, flax hemp, and chia seeds	Berries	Vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts
Root vegetables and tubers, including onions, sweet potatoes, and jicama	Almonds	Peas
Green beans	Cauliflower	Beans

Healthy Fiber Provides Fodder for Beneficial Gut Microbes

The benefits of fiber can in part be explained by its beneficial impact on the microorganisms in your gut. Soluble fibers, such as psyllium, are probiotics that help nourish beneficial bacteria. These beneficial bacteria assist with digestion and absorption of your food, and play a significant role in your immune function. 

Opting for an organic version of psyllium will prevent exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers that are present in nearly all commercial psyllium products.

I also recommend choosing one that does not contain additives or sweeteners, as these tend to have a detrimental effect on your microbiome. Sugar, for example, feed potentially pathogenic microorganisms, which is the converse of what you're trying to achieve.

In recent years, it's become overwhelmingly clear that in order to be truly healthy, you need a healthy gut. For example, a recent article in The Atlantic⁷ addressed the links between your gut microbiome and your risk for rheumatoid arthritis, noting that:

"Several recent studies have found intriguing links between gut microbes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases in which the body's immune system goes awry and attacks its own tissue. A study⁸ published in 2013... found that people with rheumatoid arthritis were much more likely to have a bug called Prevotella copri in their intestines than people that did not have the disease. [A]nother study⁹... found that patients with psoriatic arthritis, another kind of autoimmune joint disease, had significantly lower levels of other types of intestinal bacteria."

Alterations of the human microbiome through inappropriate and unnatural diet changes appear to be part and parcel of rising disease rates. In essence, we've strayed too far from our natural diet, which promotes a healthy gut flora. A major culprit is food processing, which removes many of the vital nutrients. Add to that the use of agricultural chemicals such as glyphosate, and decimated soil nutrients secondary to industrial agriculture , and it should be clear that what we're eating today is very far indeed from what our ancestors ate even a two or three generations ago. As a result, our microbiome is changing, and it's changing for the worse.

Research Shows Bacteria Plays Role in Colon Cancer and Parkinson's

Researchers have even begun to look at the influence of gut bacteria in the formation of certain kinds of cancer, as well as neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. One such study¹⁰ found that 89 percent of cancerous tumors removed from the right side of the colon were covered in biofilm—a thick layer of densely packed colonies of bacteria. Interestingly, only 12 percent of tumors removed from the left side of the colon had biofilms on them.

"The presence of these biofilms may represent an increased likelihood of colon cancer and could offer a new way to predict a person's risk for the disease,' WebMD¹¹ notes, adding: 'Like tooth plaque and slime on pond stones, these biofilms may coat the mucus layer of cells lining the colon, according to background information from the study.'

'There, the biofilms may cause inflammation and some noncancerous bowel diseases,' said Dr. Cynthia Sears, professor of medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health... The reasons for the difference between the right and left side of the colon are unknown... The risk of developing colon cancer may be five times higher in people with biofilms on the right side of the colon, compared to those with no biofilms..."

Other recent research¹² sheds light on the connection between carb-rich diets and colon cancer. As it turns out, certain bacteria that thrive on sugar produce a chemical that activates the growth of tumor cells. There's a gene mutation that has been linked to one out of five cases on non-inherited colon cancer. This mutation prevents cells from repairing errors that arise during DNA replication.

This is known as "the mismatch DNA repair system," and it causes accelerated cell division. This research shows that carbohydrates and the bacteria that feed on them can speed up this dysfunctional process. Basically, carb-loving bacteria release a chemical that pushes colon cells that lack the ability to repair DNA errors to multiply in an uncontrollable manner, thereby producing tumors. As reported by Science News:¹³

"In country after country where people have switched to Western-style diets heavy in refined sugars such as high fructose corn syrup, the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased, says geneticist Scott Bultman of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who was not involved in the study. Until now, the underlying connection between food and colon cancer has been cloudy.

'This study gives a good mechanism for how diet is tied to colon cancer," Bultman says... If the mouse experiments mimic human cancers, then shunning high-carbohydrate, Western diets could allay or prevent the disease for many people,' says Bultman. Following a well-balanced diet, with fewer refined sugars and more fiber, is good for the microbiome and likely has an effect on cancer predisposition."

Moving on to research¹⁴ looking at the influence of bacteria in Parkinson's disease, here, those with Parkinson's disease have far less bacteria from the Prevotellaceae family than those who do not have the disease. What these bacteria actually do, and how they influence Parkinson's is still unknown however. Yet another family of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae was linked to the severity of Parkinson's symptoms. Parkinson's patients with more severe balance issues and difficulty walking were found to have higher levels of these bacteria.

Your Environment, Especially Your Diet, Shapes Your Immune System

As you probably know, your immune system is the first line of defense against any and all illness, whether acute or chronic. A recent article in Science magazine¹⁵ discusses the role of the environment in shaping your immune system. In a study on twins, immunologist Mark Davis of Stanford University set out to determine the influence of genetics on immune system function. His paper,¹⁶ "Variation in the Human Immune System Is Largely Driven by Non-Heritable Influences," reveals the nature of his findings. 

As reported by Science:

"After recruiting 210 identical and fraternal twins between 8 and 82 years old, Davis and colleagues took blood samples and measured more than 200 parameters of their immune systems. For example, they measured the numbers of 95 kinds of immune cells and 51 kinds of proteins [and found] that identical twins' immune systems were too different for the variation to boil down to genetics.

Indeed, environment overshadowed inheritance in three-quarters of the measurements, and half showed no measurable genetic influence. Moreover, younger twins were more similar than were older twins, evidence that as the twins aged and were exposed to different environments, their immune systems diverged over time."

Environmental Differences Also Affect Your Vaccine Response

Interestingly, they also evaluated whether or not genetics might influence the twin's responses to flu vaccines. As I've discussed on many occasions, both genetic and epigenetic or environmental factors can predispose a child to vaccine damage—and an unhealthy microbiome appears to be a particularly potent risk factor. Here, they discovered that "the variation in responses was almost entirely the result of environmental differences."

What this means, in practical terms, is that vaccine safety cannot be ascertained by, say, a genetic test. At present, the only indication I know of is testing to check your baby's gut flora, as described in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's GAPS book. As Dr. Campbell explains, establishment of normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of your baby's immune system. Hence, babies who develop abnormal gut flora are left with compromised immune systems.

According to Dr. Campbell, vaccinations were developed for children with perfectly healthy immune systems. GAPS children, therefore, are NOT suitable to be vaccinated with the standard vaccination protocol. Her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome contains an entire chapter outlining what healthcare professionals need to do to improve the vaccination strategy, because the standard vaccination protocol is bound to damage GAPS babies.

For a Health Boost, Increase Your Fiber

While I'm no longer known as Dr. Fiber, I still hold firm to my belief in the benefits of dietary fiber as long as most of it is coming from high-quality, preferably organic, vegetables. Fiber undoubtedly contributes to overall good health and longevity, and can have a positive influence on your disease risk by feeding and promoting the proliferation of healthy gut bacteria. Fiber, especially insoluble fiber, can serve as a powerful bowel movement normalizer. If you are constipated it will soften your stools and if you have loose stools it will form them better.

I believe it is best to not rely on grain-based fiber sources, as this threatens your health in too many ways, from raising your insulin and leptin levels, to increasing your risk of glyphosate exposure. Processed grains are particularly harmful, and are second only to refined sugar and fructose in terms of promoting chronic disease. If there's one thing you do NOT need, it's sugar—from any source.

Instead, get your fiber from fresh locally grown organic vegetables, nuts, and seeds. If you still fall short of the recommended 30-32 grams per day (20 grams being a bare minimum), supplementing with organic psyllium husk can help bring you closer to this ideal amount. Just make sure that the psyllium is organic. Avoid non-organic psyllium like the plague as it is loaded with pesticides.