Dear Feingold Association Members & Friends,We are back in business after a rather long down-time.
My apologies to all of you who subscribed and have been wondering where your email newsletters are. As our emailing list became larger, we have had difficulties with our bulk email service, but we believe our new system will be a big improvement.
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GENERAL
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- Playdough Recipe
- Are Aspartame and Saccharin Acceptable on the Feingold Program?
- What Do the Dyes Do?
ENVIRONMENTAL
- Seasonal Allergies May Affect ADHD
- NY Sues Dow Chemical for Saying Dursban is Safe
- Chemicals Found in Fragrance Products
MEDICAL
- Comparing the Health of Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated Children
[] RATE OUR SITE ON THIS LINK
The Mental Help Net is sponsored by CMHC Systems, which claims to be the largest provider of information technology to the behavioral health industry.
They have listed our site, giving it 2 stars which is an "OK" rating. Users are also able to rate their listed sites, which are controlled so that each person can rate each site only once. I invite you to go to their page and scroll down to the Feingold Association link and rate it.
(Update: the link to us on this page has been removed. They have not responded to our request for an explanation. We continue to be listed on the "organizations" page, with some outdated information, if you do a search of their site by name. We have again submitted a request to be listed under "Associations." Note the number of ads for Strattera on this site.)
1 cup flour (optional: mix with turmeric for yellow, or cocoa for brown)
2 Tb pure vegetable oil
2 Tsp cream of tarter
1/2 cup salt
1 cup liquid: water
water + beet juice (red)
water + carrot juice (orange)
water + chlorophyll liquid (green, from health food store)
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and stir to mix well. Cook, stirring, until the mixture sticks together and forms a large ball. Cool on waxed paper. Store in a covered container. Makes 2 cups.
. . . AND NOW, THE EASY WAY . . .
I, myself, being lazy, used to make playdough by just mixing flour and water until it made a dough. I used canned beet juice for red dough. A little cinnamon makes it smell nice, and turmeric mixed with the flour makes a nice yellow. I suppose the salt keeps kids from eating it, and maybe keeps it from spoiling, but I just made it fresh each time. And if the child does eat it, at least you will know that turmeric has anti-cancer properties and beets have vitamins.
[] ARE ASPARTAME AND SACCHARIN
ACCEPTABLE
ON THE FEINGOLD PROGRAM?
We have frequently been asked this question. The Feingold Association recommends that members avoid them.
Aspartame (Nutrasweet) has its own unique set of problems. It is reported to cause a variety of neurological effects from headache to seizures and brain tumors. There are a number of scary-sounding websites accusing aspartame of causing every disease from Alzheimers to Zits. Nevertheless, there is enough material right in MedLine studies to make one pause before sprinkling it in the coffee. See more at www.diet-studies.com/aspartame.html
OTHER SWEET POSSIBILITIES:
Stevia is a natural no-calorie sweetener made from an herb. See more about it at www.feingold.org/PF/pf_stevia.html
Other acceptable "sugar-free" sweeteners are the alcohol sugars such as sorbitol and xylitol. You should be aware, however, that too much of them can cause diarrhea. Dr. Feingold suggested using them only in moderation.
At this time, the jury is still out on sucralose (Splenda). It claims to be natural since chlorine atoms are attached in place of hydroxyl groups on the natural sugar molecule. Any organic chemist, however, will tell you that you can't just substitute atoms for other atoms and think you still have the same product. Sucralose may be sweet, but it is not sugar. Some more information on Sucralose/Splenda can be seen at the following links:
THEY HATE IT:
Note: Splenda is made by McNeil Labs, makers of drugs and medications. See The Splenda website.
Besides triggering symptoms for which you may be using or considering the Feingold Program, what else do synthetic food dyes do?
Some people seem to be most bothered by synthetic red dye such as FD&C Red #40 or FD&C Red #3, and for others it is yellow. Which seems to be most problematic for an individual may depend on the amount of exposure, specific sensitivities, or other so-far unknown factors. Most are considered "azo" dyes, made from petroleum, and contain FDA- acceptable amounts of lead, mercury, arsenic, and various carcinogens such as benzidine. See more about the colorings at www.diet-studies.com/color.html
At the Feingold Association, we keep tabs on the research about the dyes, and new information is coming out all the time.
Here are the subjects of some of the studies & reviews which can be found at www.diet-studies.com/dye.html or at www.feingold.org/http://www.feingold.org/Research/adhd.html
Red 40 and Red 3:
[] SEASONAL ALLERGIES MAY AFFECT ADHD
Other important new findings at the conference included a report from scientists in Iran that one of the best treatments for allergy to pollens is a derivative of the French pine nut known as pycnogenol. Pycnogenol is known to have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. British researchers found that another herb known as Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) blocked mast cell sensitization, which helps stop the cascade of biochemicals that would otherwise evoke an allergic response. The placebo-controlled, double-blind study involved 20 patients who used the herb for two weeks during the prime grass pollen season.
Paper filters were also reported to dramatically lower exposure to environmental allergens.
An interesting study in Spain reported that microwaving an apple for 2 minutes reduces allergens for those allergic to apples. Whether it affects the potency of salicylates is not mentioned, but if any of you have found that microwaved apples are better tolerated than other apples, let us know.
[sorry - the link to this report is no longer working ... 3/8/08]
[] NEW YORK SUES DOW CHEMICAL
FOR SAYING DURSBAN IS SAFE
Dursban, once a common household pesticide, is still used in agricultural products. It contains chlorpyrifos, a synthetic compound linked to severe health problems in humans, including nerve damage, asthma and birth defects.
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer of New York intends to sue Dow AgroSciences, a leading pesticides manufacturer and subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company, for violating the 1994 agreement which called for the company to stop saying that Dursban was safe.
"Consumers must not be lulled into a false sense of security by misleading safety claims," he said. "They should be urged to use pesticides only with the utmost caution."
The lawsuit seeks a court order directing the company to halt the advertising, as well as monetary penalties.
A spokesman for Dow AgroSciences said the company would mount a "vigorous defense" against Mr. Spitzer's "meritless allegations."
[] CHEMICALS FOUND IN FRAGRANCE PRODUCTS
As long as we continue to breathe stuff that says "do not inhale," we should not be surprised if we do not feel well. While many chemicals enter our environment without our knowledge and without our control, we can certainly make some changes where we DO have control, such as in what we dab on our skin and put into our laundry machines.
In the early 1990's, 10 million people were estimated to be living with asthma. In 2002, the best figure available was 24 million. This is more than double in less than 10 years. What will happen in 2012? 2025? Will any of your grandchildren NOT have asthma?
[] COMPARING THE HEALTH OF VACCINATED
AND NON-VACCINATED CHILDREN
In July of 2000, a study was published about children on a Japanese island. On this island, only about half the children had been vaccinated. The study results are dramatic - and should be alarming, bearing in mind that this study did not address the effectiveness of the vaccines themselves, but rather their effect on certain other disorders as a "side effect" of the vaccine.
Think about it -- of the unvaccinated group, only 2.3% had asthma, while 25.6% of the vaccinated group got it ... a ten-fold increase. Furthermore, in the unvaccinated group, less than 10% got any of the "atopic disorders" (asthma, rashes, or chronic runny nose) while more than 50% of the vaccinated group got at least one of them!!! In spite of this ten-fold increase in asthma, and five-fold increase in atopic disorders in general, the conclusion is reported mildly that "DPT vaccination has some effect..."
Unfortunately, it is not easy to replicate a study like this, simply because it is hard to find a group of children not getting vaccinations. The result? Asthma, dermatitis, and chronic runny noses will continue to be "normal" for a large and increasing number of our children.
You can see more about this study at www.diet-studies.com/vaccinations.html#Yoneyama
For more information about vaccinations, see the National Vaccine Information Center at www.909shot.com