Dear Feingold Association Members & Friends,
- Painless Donations While You Shop
- Drug Industry - No More Trick-or-Treating?
- Hints for Having a Good Thanksgiving
- More Reasons to Avoid Food Dyes
- Additives & Behavior Study in England
- Would You Like to Participate in a Study in Ohio?
- Bread Study in Australia
- Doctor Doodles
- Organic Foods and Pesticide Residues
- Fruit By the Numbers - Organic, Ordinary, or GMO
[ ] Painless Donations While You Shop
Through the iGive service, products and gifts you buy on-line can generate donations to your favorite charity - and we hope that will be the Feingold Association.
In fact, at this moment, just buying anything on-line from any of many stores will earn $1 in donations. And you don't have to remember which stores. Once you sign up, the computer does all the work for you - you just shop whenever the mood strikes. But FIRST go to this link to set up your iGive service:
We very much appreciate your help so we can continue to help others.
Many of us believed that favors/incentives to doctors had already been outlawed. Apparently, not so - at least not yet. According to a New York Times article by Robert Pear, September 30, the government has now warned pharmaceutical companies that they "must not offer any financial incentives to doctors, pharmacists or other health care professionals to prescribe or recommend particular drugs, or to switch patients from one medicine to another."
These new standards were issued by Janet Rehnquist, inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, to guide the pharmaceutical industry.
Until now, aggressive marketing tactics by the drug manufacturers have included treating doctors to free Broadway plays, weekend trips, expensive meals, etc. Sometimes doctors and drugstores have been rewarded for encouraging patients to switch from one medication to another.
The government said it was concerned about the industry's marketing practices because they could improperly drive up costs for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal health programs for 75 million people who are elderly, disabled or poor.
[ ] Hints for Having a Good Thanksgiving
The following information is from "Why Can't My Child Behave?" which is available through the Feingold Bookstore
If you are new to the Feingold Program, this year will probably provide much to be thankful for. You will be able to avoid unnecessary chemicals in your holiday feast by following some basic guidelines.
Turkey Talk
At one time preparing a turkey for market was a pretty
straightforward process, but today the bird is considered by
many to be simply the raw material for yet another processed
product. For example:
In most cases, the plain, unadorned supermarket brand fresh or frozen turkey is your best bet and most additive-free choice, but do read the labels.
If your family is too small to use up a bird before you grow tired of it, ask the butcher to cut it into two equal halves with his saw. Cook one half now, and freeze the other for a special meal later on. You will have to prepare the stuffing, of course, in a separate dish.
Stuffing
Use your favorite bread. Add onion, celery, and other fresh vegetables,
moisten with water or turkey broth, but not bouillon cubes, which typically
contain undesirable additives. If you prefer, you can use cooked rice
instead of bread.
More Recipes
See more information and a number of recipes
in the newsletters for
November 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999.
Cranberries and Blueberries
Although cranberries were not always listed as one of the salicylate
foods, Dr. Feingold found that they affected some individuals, particularly
those with eye-muscle disorder.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cranberries and blueberries are members of the Vaccinium family of plants and thus contain benzoic acid, but should not actually contain salicylate. However, since we have seen that some members have trouble with these foods, it was decided that they should be treated the same as others on the salicylate list. They were therefore added to the list of salicylates to be avoided on Stage One.
[ ] More Reasons to Avoid Food Dyes
Whether or not you have any of the symptoms for which the Feingold Program is helpful, and whether or not you have actually found it helpful for these symptoms -- you still have good reason to be grateful for a diet that can eliminate the worst additives while allowing you a good choice of modern foods. Check out the following research showing some nasty effects of these color (and other) additives in short-term animal studies. The impact of long-term exposure of these additives on humans is not yet known. Should we continue to consider them harmless?
In this study published in August, 2002, the researchers tested 39 food additives including some of the colorings and preservatives the Feingold Program eliminates. They were tested for "genotoxicity" which means the scientists wanted to see if the additives could change or damage the DNA in the cells of the animals. When DNA or genes are damaged, cancer can result.
All 7 of the food dyes tested caused DNA damage in the intestinal organs (stomach, colon, etc.) even though only small amounts were used. BHA and BHT, as well as four artificial sweeteners, also caused DNA damage.
The researchers conclude that we should take another look at whether these additives should be used.
In this study published in May, 2001, the researchers wanted to learn if the several kinds of red food dyes were genotoxic - in other words, whether they damaged the DNA of animals eating them.
They found that three of these red food dyes caused DNA damage in the colon, the stomach, the bladder, and the lungs.
Because this damage was caused by very low doses of these colorings, the researchers concluded that we should take another look at whether these additives should be used in foods.
In this study published in June 2000, it was shown that eating artificial food colorings every day can damage some activities of the liver. It was also found that the food dyes themselves were cytotoxic (poisonous to body cells).
In this 1996 study which just came to our attention, it was found that colorings such as Red #40, Yellow #5, and several others inhibited mitochondrial respiration up to 100% depending on the color and the dose. Mitochondria are tiny mini-organs inside each cell where food is changed to energy (metabolized).
We contacted Dr. L. Eugene Arnold of Ohio State University, who is currently doing research on carnitine, which is involved in mitochondrial metabolism, and we asked him what this might have to do with hyperactivity. He explained that several things happen in the mitochondria. Short chain fatty acids go in and get processed, some becoming energy, and some coming out as the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids needed for brain structure and function. A chemical called carnitine is important in this. People make some carnitine themselves, but not enough - it is also important to get enough in the diet. If the level of carnitine is not very high, or if the mitochondria themselves are not quite up to par, then further suppressing the mitochondria by eating these colorings may lead to the same result as a carnitine deficiency, which may include symptoms of ADHD.
[ ] Additives & Behavior Study in England
Food additives DO cause temper tantrums!!
Food colorings do cause temper tantrums and disruptive behavior in up to a quarter of toddlers, according to new government research, revealed October 25th in the Food Magazine by the Food Commission, the UK's leading independent watchdog on food issues.
This is the first time a UK government-sponsored scientific study has corroborated the link between food additives and changes in children's mood and behaviour.
Note that two of the colorings tested are not allowed in the U.S., but the other two are used in plentiful amounts. Notice that only 20 mg of the mixed colorings was used per day in this study. If this amount affects 25% of the 277 children, what would a tablespoon of green ketchup at 150 mg have done?
----Do food additives cause hyperactivity and behaviour problems in a geographically defined population of 3-year-olds? (Project: T07004) The Food Standards Agency Library. Tel: 020 7276 8060.
[ ] Would You Like to Participate in a Study in Ohio?
If you have children between the ages of 5 and 10, and live near Columbus, Ohio, you can participate in a study. Dr. L. Eugene Arnold, of Ohio State University, is still accepting participants for a placebo- controlled trial of a non-drug treatment using the supplement carnitine to help symptoms of ADHD.
He feels this may turn out to be a complementary treatment for those who have trouble being 100% faithful to their diet, or who continue to have symptoms even while they are on the Feingold Program. See an information flyer.
Controlled trial of cumulative behavioural effects of a common bread preservative. Dengate S, Ruben A., J Paediatr Child Health 2002 Aug;38(4):373-6
It has been reported in the August issue of the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, that a preservative in our daily bread can cause irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance.
The study tested the effects of calcium propionate (preservative 282) on 27 children. These children had been doing well on the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital elimination diet, which avoids 50 harmful additives as well as natural salicylates, amines and glutamates.
After eating only four slices of bread a day for three days, 14 of the children who ate bread with preservatives showed worse behavior.
Researcher Sue Dengate said this was the first published study in the world to investigate the link between behavioral problems and calcium propionate - a link denied by the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
Nearly all bread in Australia now contains propionate, added for manufacturers' convenience to allow sliced hot loaves to be put into plastic bags without growing mold. There is no need for this additive if bread slicer blades are kept clean. Use of 282 has recently expanded into more foods, including cheese, fruit juices, dried fruit and emulsifiers.
"If your child is easily annoyed, demanding, argumentative, can't concentrate on reading or homework, is easily distracted, restless, fidgety and can't sit still, or has difficulty settling down to sleep, think food chemicals," said Dengate.
"The reaction is more likely to be moodiness or 'short fuse' than hyperactivity. Loud voice, lethargy, 'growing pains', stomach aches, headaches and bed-wetting or urinary urgency were also reported."
"This is an important public health issue. Effects of food colours on children's behaviour and learning are well documented. Food colours are in processed foods, which parents can choose to avoid, but this additive is in a healthy staple eaten every day. Parents don't even know it is there."
Further information about the food issue in Australia is available at the FailSafe Diet website.
Here are some experiences that parents have recently reported to us:
(Q) A father reports that when he asked his physician about BHT in cereal packaging, he was told to merely remove the cereal from the original box and store it in a closed container.
(A) Since the cereal you buy may have sat on the shelf for months, there is no way to know how much BHT has already migrated into it. It is preferable to buy cereal without BHT in the packaging (check your Foodlists) but watch the expiration date on the box too, and don't buy outdated cereal unless you like the taste of cardboard.
(Q) A mom reports that her child was having a hard time with the Feingold diet because she likes potatoes.
(A) When asked, it turned out that she was not a member of the Feingold Association, but had been doing the best she could on her neurologist's advice. He had included potatoes in the list of foods to avoid. We do not know where the neurologist received this information, but it was not from us. Potatoes are not routinely eliminated on the Feingold Program. Unless the child had an actual allergy to potatoes, there was no reason to deprive her of her French fries. We advised the mom to join the Association and get accurate information about the Feingold Program.
Most doctors receive little or no training in nutrition. Some families are fortunate enough to have a doctor who is knowledgeable about nutrition and the research in this area, or who can refer them to appropriate resources such as the Feingold Association.
[ ] Organic Foods and Pesticide Residues
Although one does not need to "go organic" to be on the Feingold Program, many of our members like to do so, and some find that the elimination of the pesticides is very important. We have even received a few reports that nothing helped until they did so. My daughter suffered many years from chronic mouth ulcers until we began the diet for her brother. After we removed the salicylates, her mouth sores disappeared. When we tried reintroducing tomatoes, the mouth sores returned. We finally discovered it was not the tomatoes themselves, but something ON the tomatoes that was the culprit. Organic tomatoes cause her no problems. It is unfortunate that it took us more than 10 years to figure that out.
Do organically grown foods contain fewer residues of toxic pesticides than conventionally grown foods?
The answer is an emphatic yes, according to a scientific study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Food Additives and Contaminants, published May 2002.
In this detailed analysis of pesticide-residues in foods, more than 94,000 conventional and organic food samples were studied by three organizations.
The USDA data showed the following:
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation, using less sensitive tests, found that:
The Consumers Union showed the following:
Not only did fewer organic samples have any pesticide residues, but the level of pesticide residue found was consistently lower than the amounts found in conventional foods.
The authors believe that residues found in organic foods could have been in the soil from previous pesticide use, or could have come from pesticides sprayed on neighboring farms.
-------- Pesticides Residues in Conventional, IPM-Grown and Organic Foods: Insights from three (3) U.S. Data Sets, Food Additives and Contaminants, published May 2002. )
[ ] Fruit By the Numbers - Organic, Ordinary,
or
Genetically Modified (GM)
Foods variously called "genetically modified" (GM), "genetically modified organisms" (GMO), or "genetically engineered" (GE) are a step beyond the usual agricultural practice of creating hybrids. A gene from a different plant - or even an animal, a fish, or a human being - is inserted into the plant being modified. For example, a fish gene can be put into a strawberry, making it resistant to colder temperatures.
In spite of the controversy about whether such things are safe, they are being increasingly placed on the market .... shall we say sneaked into the market? .... without any fanfare or even labeling.
See some related links here:
Because GM foods are not labeled, consumers don't have a choice. This is an issue of industry money versus consumer rights. However, we have just learned that these products are given numerical codes for the benefit of supermarket inventories. The numbers (called PLU) on the stickers attached to the fruit or vegetable speed up the scanning process at checkout, and enable retailers to track how well individual varieties are selling.
An article in the June 26 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer Food Section explains what the codes on those individual pieces of produce really mean. So, even without any grocery store label, if you can read the individual stickers, you will know what kind of produce you are buying!
For conventionally grown fruit, the PLU code on the sticker consists of four numbers.