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1. McCNL EDITORIAL 443

2. STATINS AND BURGER

3. Nutrition in childhood - First Report

6. Epigenetics in Adaptive Evolution and Development Part 1
    - COVER FEATURE

12. Note from a French Window

13. Excessive wealth is damaging the nation's health

13. QUITE INTERESTING

14. HONEYMOON CABBAGE SALAD

15. NutrOcean's marine microalgae production plant in Rimouski

17. Submission to NOAA(National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration of the USA).

18. WHAT DOCTORS ARE READING ... may put your health at risk

19. SOIL ASSOCIATION NEWS

22. IF IGNORANCE IS BLISS... ELECTROSENSITIVITY UK

25. FREEDOM HEROES

26. BOOK REVIEW

27. Early Programming of Appetite & Diabetes

28. MEMBERSHIP

Inside rear cover:  Encephaloscans (colour)

Rear Cover: re-assessment, "Nutrition and Evolution" 1995

Congratulations to our Chair, Simon House, for his chapter in the recently published Academic Press / imprint of Elsevier publication - HANDBOOK of EPIGENETICS: (SECTION VII, Evolutionary Epigenetics: CHAPTER 26, Epigenetics in Adaptive Evolution and Development: The interplay between evolving species and epigenetic mechanisms. Simon H. House*, Cambridge, UK)

The subject of epigenetics tends to be a conversation stopper, but simply means ‘changes in gene expression’ – due to switches on the genes. It used to be called ‘environmentally induced modification’, and not considered important, being reversible change – rather than a mutation – it is now the focus of scientific investigation. Though reversible, these changes are inheritable both in cell replication and down multiple generations of the species. Epigenetics is now a red-hot topic in many branches of medicine.

It has long been known that faced with a change in ‘conditions of existence’ (as Charles Darwin termed the environment) that organisms needed to change to cope with the changed surroundings.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck had described this ‘need’ well (le besoin) in his book ‘Philosophie Zoologique’ (1809), but was stumped with explaining how such changed characteristics somehow became marked on the ‘germ-plasm’ thus ensuring the change was passed on to the next and further generations, were the environmental change to remain stable. Darwin had run into the same problem and tried explaining it via his theory of pangenesis – which was inspired guesswork considering he published his thoughts 140 years ago.

Now, the relatively new science of epigenetics is explaining this 200-year-old conundrum.

We are privileged as a Society to be allowed by Elsevier to reproduce Simon House’s chapter, which will be serialised in these pages. This chapter, one of 37 in Handbook of Epigenetics is pretty meaty stuff, so be prepared to hang on to your hats.

Handbook of Epigenetics: The New Molecular and Medical Genetics (edited by Trygve O. Tollefsbol of the Department of Biology, the Center for Aging, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Nutrition Obesity Research Center and the Comprehensive Diabetes Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA) has 37 chapters on virtually every branch of medicine and medical science including genetics, psychology, psychiatry, environmental biology and evolutionary Epigenetics.

It is the Handbook for which generations of scientists, doctors of medicine, philosophers, naturalists and students of evolution have been waiting – for two centuries – since the time of Lamarck’s first publication at the beginning of the 19th century. (A more complete review will follow in our Journal, Nutrition and Health).

Only now are we beginning to understand how our environment, physical, chemical and emotional is effecting change in our bodies and minds, and in those of our children, grandchildren and beyond.

Congratulations are also due to our President Professor Michael Crawford on being appointed Visiting Lecturer at Imperial College.

DM.

If burger joints offered cholesterol-lowering statins, customers would offset the unhealthy effects of a cheeseburger and milkshake, according to researchers at Imperial College London.

The pills could be placed beside the salt, pepper and tomato ketchup to encourage people to pop one after their meal.

The suggestion is made in a paper by Dr Darrel Francis, a cardiologist at Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute, and colleagues published in the American Journal of Cardiology

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, denounced the proposal. "This paper just amazes me," he said. "Let's get real; we should be encouraging healthy lifestyles, not pill popping. This is an unwelcome addition to the 'pill for every ill' attitude that's already much too common. The danger of this research is that some people will become even more complacent about eating fatty food and high calorie food, and might even increase their intake of them."

While statins were generally safe they could increase the risk of muscle weakness and, in rare cases, of kidney failure, cataracts and liver problems, Field added.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/12/fast-food-free-drugs-heart-disease

New strategies for surviving and thriving in a changing environment

Tuesday 18 January 2011, ORT House Conference Centre, London

This important conference, convened by Committee member Martina Watts* covered most topics dear to the McCarrison Society, with stress on the effects, and in particular the epigenetic effects of pre- and perinatal nutrition, will receive full coverage in the following newsletter (45/1).

There is increasing concern that children of this generation will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This national event presented the latest scientific evidence on the factors contributing to obesity, allergies and learning, mood and behavioural disorders. These included diet during pregnancy and childhood, modern lifestyles and persistent environmental exposures.

Leading researchers and clinicians explored the role of natural interventions and offered practical, evidence-based and cost-effective approaches on how to manage and, in many cases, prevent common childhood conditions.

The conference explained how the uterine environment exerts important ‘programming’ effects on the fetus, triggering biological responses which increase the risk of modern diseases and may have lifelong consequences.

It explored unexpected causes of obesity, and questioned whether messages intended to tackle obesity are outdated and misleading? It showed how nutritional and lifestyle strategies can be successfully employed to prevent and manage weight gain in childhood and how nutritional interventions have been successfully employed in modifying mood, behaviour and learning ability.

It also examined why allergies have increased and which nutritional agents show best evidence when supporting immune and digestive function in children and teenagers. Further, it demonstrated evidence-informed and cost-effective nutritional strategies which can be implemented by parents, teachers and providers of children’s healthcare services. Additionally it revealed how to manage ‘treats’ and influence taste preferences in children.

Key themes

• The fundamental importance of pre-natal and early nutrition for future mental and physical health
• The latest scientific evidence showing how epigenetic changes in utero may lead to developmental and metabolic disorders
• The increasing social and health threats of learning, mood and behavioural disorders and what we can do about them
• Latest developments in the provision of school meals in the current economic climate and an update on initiatives designed to improve the quality of food outlets surrounding schools
• Evidence-informed practice and management in obesity prevention and care (obesity was going to be discussed Kate Neil [Director of the Centre for Nutrition Education and Lifestyle Management, Nutritional Therapist, Lecturer] was to have covered this but couldn't make it on the day: however her slides are available.)
• Reasons underlying the exponential rise in food and inhalant allergies and nutritional strategies to minimise their development
• Risks and effects of subclinical nutrient deficiencies in children and teenagers; the role of supplementation and potential safety issues
• Nutritional approaches to the management of ‘fussy eaters’ and eating distress

Speakers included

Dr Alex Richardson’s keynote lecture explaining the ‘autism spectrum’ disorders… and the importance of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and much more.

Richard Sharpe FRSE described fetal epigenetic programming: the effects of environmental and lifestyle exposure in early life.  Professor Richard Sharpe is a senior scientist at the Medical Research Council Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Edinburgh.

Alison Peacham, Education Development Manager, Senior Lecturer at The Institute for Optimum Nutrition explained The 'how to' of healthy eating.

Helen Lynam, Nutritional Therapist, Lecturer. Her paper ‘Identifying and managing eating distress in children and teenagers’ described how she teaches parents and their children suffering from eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexoria how to break this often vicious and sometimes fatal cycle of behaviour.

Michael Ash, Nutri-Link Ltd (Osteopath, Naturopath, Nutritional Therapist) gave an erudite paper discussing ‘Pregnancy, immunity and allergy prevention: the role of natural interventions in managing current and future health problems’.

This paper will be of particular interest to students of epigenetic programming.

Rachel Gow from the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London discussed ‘Omega-3 fatty acids and the developing brain: the present status of child mental ill-health’.

Professor J T Winkler, Director, Nutrition Policy Unit,  explained his research regarding “School feeding and 'the school fringe': factors affecting food choices inside and outside the classroom”

The conference was organized by Pavilion, the leading publisher and event organiser for those working in social and healthcare fields, whether they work in the statutory, private or voluntary sectors. They publish over 200 training packs, Mental Health Today and Learning Disability Today magazines.

For those unable to attend

Conference papers, as presented to the delegates on the day, are available on CD-rom after the conference for £60 + VAT. This useful reference will include: available speaker papers, speaker biographies and any additional inserts.

Fax: 0844 880 5062 Tel: 0844 880 5061 Web: www.pavpub.com Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Post this form to: FREEPOST RLUZ-ATEU-RYUZ, Pavilion, Richmond House, Richmond Road, Brighton, BN2 3RL

CONVENOR

* Martina Watts, BA (Hons) DipION; MBANT; NTCC;

Nutritional Therapist/MSc Student Nutritional Medicine.

Martina is a nutritional therapist in private practice with a special interest in the physical and mental health of children and teenagers. She is an independent nutrition consultant for private and voluntary sector clients, schools, local government and the NHS. Martina also works as a health writer and is editor of Nutrition and Mental Health: A handbook (Pavilion Publishing). For more information please visit www.thehealthbank.co.uk

Tel:  +44 1273 552011; email:    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

web:      www.thehealthbank.co.uk

... in Guéméné-sur-Scorff, Brittany, a region almost entirely dependent on agriculture.

Iona Heath, general practitioner, London.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Health equality cannot be achieved without explicit policies to reverse the growing disparities in individual wealth

In his 1749 poem The Vanity of Human Wishes, Samuel Johnson sounded a warning: “Wealth heap’d on wealth, not Truth nor Safety buys, The dangers gather as the Treasures rise.” This echoes across the centuries in the story of Fred Goodwin, erstwhile chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, who so perfectly exemplifies contemporary corporate greed. Wealth and poverty are always linked, and the poor are always exposed to the comparison, continually aware of the possibilities and opportunities that are available to the rich but that appear forever inaccessible to themselves.

Our government talks a lot about doing something about poverty in general and child poverty in particular, and the health service finds itself repeatedly charged with the responsibility to tackle health inequalities. However, the assumption seems always to be that these worthy objectives can be achieved without any explicit policies concerning the growing disparities in individual wealth. The slogan “excessive wealth is damaging the nation’s health”… further reading… http://www.bmj.com:8080/content/338/bmj.b1293.extract

Cite this as: BMJ 2009; 338:b1293.             With thanks to the BMJ.

Did you know that since 2004 - when Labour passed the law, that the General Medical Council can now employ out-of-hours medics from Europe (as ordinary surgery ones here get paid so much they don't want to work week-ends or evenings, so the GMC gets several thousand Eastern European GP’s (through agencies), but they are prohibited by EU law to put them through an English competence test! (Needless to say the French take no notice of this crazy piece of legislation and do test them).

Have you ever realised what nonsense EU law is! It does not bode well for the future if that is the quality of their law. There has been at least one fatality caused by a German GP who prescribed ten times the amount of a common drug, which not unnaturally killed the patient...
Thanks to Open Europe

•  Half a head of cabbage (+-1k) - very finely shredded
•  1 1/2 cups (+-300g) celery leaves - finely chopped
•  1/2 large onion or one small onion (+-80g)

- very finely chopped (Part of the secret is shredding all the veggies very finely. The results are well worth the effort.)

Place this into large bowl. Next prepare the dressing:

•  50ml good quality vinegar
•  200ml sunflower oil (you can use olive oil but it does change the taste a little)
•  15ml (1 tablespoon) fine white sugar or honey
•  10ml fine white salt (more or less to taste if desired)
•  5ml fine white pepper this is also part of the integral taste of the salad: using ground black pepper alters the taste try it another time as a variation!
•  2 1/2 ml mustard powder

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a 500ml bottle with a tightly fitting lid. Vigorously shake the bottle until mixture is completely blended and has the consistency of warm honey.

Pour this over the cabbage salad. Toss and allow the mixture to stand for at least 10 minutes in the fridge.

Now serve and eat!

What I like about this recipe is that it also contains celery leaves. Celery can help suppress your appetite, helping you slim. It also has a calming effect on the central nervous system.

Some early studies on animals link celery to low blood pressure. This is because it contains 'pthalides', compounds which can help relax your artery muscles.

These compounds also reduce your levels of stress hormone, which help keep your blood vessels relaxed and open.

And it's the leaves that have the highest concentration of the good stuff, so the Honeymoon Cabbage Salad is a perfect way to eat your leaves!

Rimouski, September 27th, 2010 // NutrOcean has inaugurated its new marine microalgae production plant on the 27th of September 2010, in the region of Pointe-au-Père in the town of Rimouski (Quebec).

Marine microalgae are at the start of the food chain in marine ecosystems and are recognized as a high-quality food source for shellfish larvae and for the production of zooplankton in marine finfish farming, particularly when fresh. They are also increasing in demand as an ingredient source for products such as nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, horticultural fertilizers and for the production of biofuel.

Dr. Sabin Boily, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valeo Management L.P has declared that: “fish accumulate omega-3 lipids by feeding on smaller organisms in the food chain including microalgae that are the only marine organisms that actually synthesize omega-3-rich lipids. The inauguration of the production plant allows the company to position itself strategically in a fast growing market”.

According to the mayor of Rimouski, Mr. Éric Forest, “Rimouski, which is a major maritime hub, is pleased to see a factory specializing in marine culture being established on its territory, thus generating jobs in an area of training, particularly important in our educational institutions. We already had several marine-related industries and we are very excited that a company specialized in the production of essential ingredients in the aquaculture and food processing world is coming to Rimouski and serving the world market.”

Fish do not produce EPA or DHA (the omega-3 fatty acids). They accumulate it through their prey who themselves feed on the lower trophic levels. Thus, EPA and DHA are distributed throughout the food chain: firstly they are synthesized by micro-algae, and then eaten by zooplankton, followed by fish. We know that fish accumulate contaminants as well, unlike micro-algae that lie at the bottom of the food chain. Since the micro-algae from NutrOcean are produced in a closed environment at high concentrations, they are free of contaminants and harvested at commercial quantities. In addition, production of micro-algae causes no harm to the environment; instead, they consume CO2 to reproduce.

Dr. Bruce Holub, Emeritus professor at University of Guelph, in Ontario, has said : “The micro-algae market is a rapidly growing source for the provision of the important marine-based omega-3 essential fatty acids for enhancing human health. I am very pleased to participate to the opening of this new production facility in Canada with its global market coverage.”

Dr. Michael Crawford, from the Imperial College for Science, Technology and Medicine and from 1989 to 1997, director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, at Metropolitan University in London was the first one to identify scientifically the essentiality of the omega-3 to the brain.  “In 1972 I made the discovery and published evidence that the brain required omega 3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for growth, function and its evolution. The brain evolved in the sea 500 million years ago using DHA for its signalling structures and despite evolution going from dynoflagellates to dinosaurs and humans it is still the major functional and only omega 3 structural component responsible for vision, all sensory and motor functions and cognition. Its availability from land systems is poor. Hence we still rely on the marine food web. Tragically, the wild catching of fish reached a plateau over a decade ago. Unless we solve the need to feed the growing population with brain food, the outlook for our children and their children is a further escalation of mental ill health and brain disorders.

Hence there is real need to develop new resources and I welcome the initiative to develop algal sources here by NutrOcean to help meet this challenge for the future health and intelligence of mankind. The evidence now is robust and overwhelming and suddenly the industry has come round and is making billions of $ out of the story.”

Mr. Serge Bujold, President and general manager of NutrOcean, said that: “NutrOcean owns innovative technologies and production facilities that allow an ecological production of quality microalgae with great potential in both markets of aquaculture and ingredient. The establishment of its new plant in Rimouski illustrates its desire to bring to market an innovation originally made at UQAR-ISMER.” University of Quebec at Rimouski /  Institute of Marine Science Rimouski

“The creation of NutrOcean is a fine example of practical impact of university research in regional economic development», said Michel Ringuet, rector of UQAR. NutrOcean was created by Valeo Management, a limited partner of UQAR and its technology is based on work carried out by researchers at UQARISMER.

“UQAR is proud to have thus created a technology that has led to the development of new processes that are now being transferred to the society”, he added.

The director of ISMER, Mr. Serge Demers, said : “The creation of NutrOcean is, for ISMER, the concrete harvest of practical research that emanates from its researchers. This is the beautiful culmination of efforts to fill a critical role of academic researchers, namely the transfer of knowledge into goods and services to society. I can only rejoice at this success and hope that NutrOcean serves as an example for other innovative projects.”

From a paper given to National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration of the USA (NOAA), in the USA, by Professor Michael Crawford.

The above implies that next phase of our relationship with the fresh water, estuarine and coastal resources require clean water and coasts as an absolute first priority (which is referred to) and with a second priority being the development of marine agriculture (of the seabed – as opposed to aquaculture).

The present fishery systems are mere extenuations of hunting and gathering which is a Neanderthal or Stone Age mentality. 10,000 years ago the recognition that land resources were becoming limited led to the domestication of animals and plants. Nothing needed to be done about the rivers, lakes and oceans as they were so rich. That was true until very recent times when pollution and lethal hunting and gathering methods have virtually destroyed the massive wealth of nutritious food achieved by carbon fixing (see below).

In your country the Indians around Lake Tahoe never made boats because to catch fish all they had to do was to wade in the water. In my country the bar men in the East end of London around the 1900 period would take their buckets to the Thames and collect oysters to put on the bar free for people who bought beer. In Maryland they harvested 616,000 tons of oysters in 1889 but that was down to 12,000 by 2002. This meant that 270,000 tons of CO2 was sequestered (fixed in shells, dumped on the land, out of circulation) in 1889 and 7,000 tons in 2002 i.e. a difference of 263,000 tons CO2. And this is just one estuary. Almost all others have been destroyed by pollution the last century.

FAO has it that the capture fishery system plateaued some 20 years ago. Marine agriculture as I demonstrated in Hawaii is happening in Japan and Indonesia. It is the only solution. This should be a major part of the NOAA future strategy. Not just to analyse and document but to make progress in this new dimension. To take action to use the marine system to protect both the planet and human health and mentality. The brain evolved in the sea 500 million years ago using DHA and still depends on it today.

Forget not that populations are rising to 9 Billion in 2050. The Wellcome Trust in its 10 year strategic plan refers to the crisis in global nutrition and incidentally also to the brain. 70+% of the planet is covered in water. Of the 30% land much is inhospitable desert, rocky mountains and ice or snow bound waste lands or even rain forests which need to be preserved at all costs. The East Asian countries got the message from the 2009 Manila conference and its declaration. 

We in the EU have plans to develop marine agriculture. The US with its similar high incidence of major depression, mental ill health and heart disease could help find a solution to help in both global warming and human health and mentality. Brain and heart disorders have in common a dependence on the right or wrong kind of fats. However, the brain is better protected and as I predicted in 1972 there would be a time lag between the rise in death from heart disease and the rise in brain disorders, which has now happened. Mental health and brain function is critical. If brain disorders continue to rise this century as heart disease did last then the outlook for economic progress, social cohesion and mental ill health is sinister.

- MAY PUT YOUR HEALTH AT RISK

A recent study showed that between two thirds and three quarters of the trials published in the major journals – Annals of Internal Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine – are funded by the pharmaceutical industry. 1

Drug company ads made up 72% of all advertisements in the top five medical journals in 2006 and 2007.

Plus, journals with the most pharmaceutical ads were significantly more likely to publish articles concluding that dietary supplements were unsafe, than the journals with fewer pharma ads. 2

Studies concluded pharmaceutical advertising biased these medical journals against non-drug therapies.

1.      Egger M, Bartlett C, Juni P (2001) “Are randomised controlled trials in the BMJ different?” BMJ 323: 1253.

2.      Fugh-Berman A, Alladin K, Chow J (2006) “Advertising in Medical Journals: Should Current Practices Change?” PLoS Med 3(6): e130. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0030130

What Doctors Are Reading May Put Your Health at Risk  Al Sears MD July 1st 2010

Thanks to Dr Al Sears.

European agriculture

"Member states should be aware that in the next couple of weeks they will be offered an empty promise, the result of which stands to change irreversibly the face of European agriculture for the worse. We call on the European Parliament and member states to reject this deal to ensure a GM-free future."
Greenpeace, urging countries and consumers to reject the EU proposals to lift the GM crop ban.13 July 2010

GM crop ban may be lifted in EU

The European Union will take a huge stride tomorrow towards freeing up the production of GM crops, when the European commission proposes allowing national governments to make up their own minds on whether to permit their cultivation. The change "isn't worth the paper it's written on," says Mute Schimps of Friends of the Earth Europe.
The Guardian (13 July, p.12)

British pressure for GM crops unwelcome in Europe

Governments in the UK have been accused of ignoring the safety concerns of many countries about new food technologies.
The Guardian (13 July, p.12)

Food Standards Agency to be abolished

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to be abolished by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, sparking claims that the government has 'caved in to big business'. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: Getting rid of the FSA is the latest in a number of worrying steps. Representatives of the National Obesity Forum, the Food Ethics Council and the Soil Association also rounded on the plan. New Statesman (12 July, 2010)

Soil Association predicts big changes

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett has predicted factory farming will end by 2050 as a radical and revolutionary change occurs in UK farming. He said: we can, and should, achieve healthy diets and an environmentally-friendly farming system by 2050. Diets, much more then than they are now, should be mainly seasonal, local, organic, with more fruit and vegetables and less but better quality dairy and meat.
Meat Trades Journal (9 July, p.6)

“For me the best food is almost a fundamental human right…that doesn't mean posh food but it means really great food.”
Helen Browning, Soil Association Director – Society Guardian – 5 January 2011

'The best food is a human right', says Soil Association director

In a profile piece with the Society Guardian, Helen Browning, the incoming Soil Association director says why she wants to see organic farming go mainstream: "My own position has always been that if you take everything into account, if you include the hidden costs of our food production system then organic is actually cheaper. All the damage that our agricultural systems do at the moment is just not accounted for... With a bit of thought there are ways of making organic food more accessible. And finally, I think the gap has been so wide because inputs like fuel and artificial fertiliser have been artificially low, but that's now going to start narrowing."
Society Guardian, (5 January, p.5)
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/05/helen-browning-soil-association-organic-food-human-right

Farmers warned of abolition of agricultural subsidies

Environment secretary Caroline Spelman calls for Cap reform to tackle 'global food security' and an end to direct pay-outs.
The Guardian (5 January, p.11)

Frankenswine, the less pungent pig

The creators of a GM superpig, nicknamed the Enviropig, say its manure contains less phosphorus than normal slurry and poses less risk to rivers, streams and lakes. But critics of GM food said the animals are ‘anything but environmentally friendly’ – and could lead to more intensive pig farms.
The Daily Mail (5 January, p.8)

Farming Today

Anna Hill finds out why free range egg producers say they face losses running into tens of thousands of pounds. Campaigners in the Forest of Dean are arguing it shouldn't be part of the coalition government's proposals to sell off Forestry Commission land. Plus, the Norfolk farmer filling the 'hungry gap' for migrant birds.
BBC Radio 4 (listen again)

And finally…A free range life makes us happy chickens

Happiness seekers should take a tip from chickens and go for a “free range” lifestyle.
Daily Express (5 January, p.15)

The Prince and the Planet

Reviewing HRH The Prince of Wales’ latest book ‘Harmony: A New Way of Looking at our World’, Shooting Times and Country Magazine looks at issues around feeding ourselves sustainably. A spokesperson for the Soil Association says that “expensive and failing GM technology has no role to play in the future of farming, not even selectively. UN research has shown that the adoption of organic and near-organic farming practices in Africa has improved yields by 116%, improved access to food for both farmers and local communities, and raised incomes.”
The Shooting Times and Country Magazine (5 January, p.31)

Wild things

In this article about the benefits of eating game, Robert Gooch of the Wild Meat Company says: "First you have conventional, farmed meat. Then you have free range, then organic. Finally, you have reared game, and right at the top, wild game. I call this the naturalness index."
The Independent Viewspaper (6 January, p.17)

Farming Today

Anna Hill reports from the Oxford Farming Conference. The Secretary of State for DEFRA, Caroline Spelman tells Farming Today that increasing demand for food will make farming profitable without government payments. And, as global population increases, warnings are raised that UK food supplies may not be secure in the future.
BBC Radio 4 (listen again)

Thanks to the Soil Association.

New markers for Electro-sensitivity

Two new types of markers for electro-sensitivity have been recorded in the last few months. They add significantly to the existing battery of tests developed in the last three years for diagnosing pathological aspects of electro-sensitivity, such as heart rate variability, microcirculation, active electrical skin potentials, blood stress proteins, urinary melatonin, lymphocyte chemical sensitivity, mast skin cell degranulation, blood cell changes, spontaneous hand movements, etc

1. Alpha amylase and cortisol in saliva

A new non-invasive test for radio-frequency–EMF sensitivity has been developed using stress biomarkers  in saliva after exposure to very low levels of RF radiation from a mobile phone transmitter. These biomarkers, alpha amylase and cortisol, are also associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other stress-related disorders.

The study (Augner C et al., 2010) Biomed Environ Sci. 23(3): 199-207) used 900 Mhz GSM in five 50-minute exposure sessions at 3 power densities:

high: 2126.8 microW/m2 (0.9 V/m), lower than Russian standards;

medium: 153.6 microW/ m2 (0.3 V/m), close to WiFi transmitter signals;

low: 5.2 microW/ m2 (0.04 V/m),

typical of many rural/surburban areas without smart meters or WiFi near, but still having good cell phone receptions. The participants responded to all 3 exposure conditions in 2 of the biomarkers, alpha amylase and cortisol, but not IgA.

1. Encephaloscan

Next-up reported on 29th August that Philippe, suffering from EHS, lived in a French EMF-free refuge during the winter of 2009-10. His medical condition was tracked by the Association de Recherche Thérapeutique Anti- Cancéreuse (ARTAC), an independent group of doctors and researchers based in Paris, specialising in the biological, therapeutic and clinical study of cancer, including EHS. A group headed by Professor Dominique Belpomme is studying a considerable number of EHS. (An update on their work, “État des lieux des recherches de l’ARTAC sur les EMS et l’EHS”, was published on 18 December 2009.)

Philippe underwent various medical examinations before his stay in the forest, including an encephaloscan at the Centre d’Exploration de la Fonction Cérébrale run by Dr Ph Lebar in Paris.

At present an encephaloscan is the best diagnostic marker of symptoms in the brains of people who are EHS, providing scientific proof of the EHS condition.

The scan gives an image of the arterial irrigation of the two hemispheres of the brain. The results are analysed by comparison with standard variations. Columns can be shown diagrammatically to represent zones with adequate circulation in red and orange, and zones with inadequate circulation in yellow and blue.

	Diagram 1 represents  an encephaloscan before Philippe’s arrival in the Forêt de Saoû. The circulation levels in several areas of both hemispheres are seriously affected. (See inside back cover for colour version)
	Diagram 2 represents an encephaloscan after Philippe had lived for three months in the Forêt de Saoû, an area with very low artificial radiation. The circulation levels in both hemispheres of the brain are significantly improved. Philippe was no longer in a weakened state.  (see inside back cover)

ES NEWS – ES MARKERS

Mums-to-be: protect your baby

A new garment to protect the unborn baby from EM radiation is available from www.mummywraps.com. This New Zealand company offers free shipping to anywhere in the world.

These types of maternity dresses and wraps, apparently long common in China, have been given a boost following recent research showing behavioural effects on children from mothers’ exposure to mobile phone radiation in pregnancy.
Thanks to ES-UK.co.uk and to ElectroSensitivity UK

BM Box ES-UK,
London,
WC1N 3XX
Telephone: 0845 643 9748

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.es-uk.info. Editor: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Research suggests neurobehavioral symptoms and cancer increase in populations near mobile phone base stations – 09/10

Abstract

Human populations are increasingly exposed to microwave/radiofrequency (RF) emissions from wireless communication technology, including mobile phones and their base stations.

By searching PubMed, we identified a total of 10 epidemiological studies that assessed for putative health effects of mobile phone base stations. Seven of these studies explored the association between base station proximity and neurobehavioral effects and three investigated cancer.

We found that eight of the 10 studies reported increased prevalence of adverse neurobehavioral symptoms or cancer in populations living at distances < 500 meters from base stations.

None of the studies reported exposure above accepted international guidelines, suggesting that current guidelines may be inadequate in protecting the health of human populations.

We believe that comprehensive epidemiological studies of longterm mobile phone base station exposure are urgently required to more definitively understand its health impact.

Epidemiological Evidence for a Health Risk from Mobile Phone Base Stations Vini G. Khurana, Lennart Hardell, Joris Everaert, Alicja Bortkiewicz, Michael Carlberg, Mikko Ahonen
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Vol 16, No 3 (2010)

Thanks to FoodsMatter.com newsletter 19.

In honor of International Press Freedom Day, My Hero presents the story of Jane Akre and Steve Wilson. These two journalists attempted to tell an important news story which would have exposed a gigantic genetic engineering company. They insisted, moreover, on keeping to the facts of the story, and this cost them their jobs.

This story has been reported in many independent online journalism outlets, including The Texas Observer, and the publication of FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting), and Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly.

Akre and Wilson are 2001 recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize.

FREEDOM HEROES: JANE AKRE & STEVE WILSON

In 1997, reporters Jane Akre and Steve Wilson discovered that many dairy farmers in Florida were using Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) to increase milk production. Although the company that makes rBGH, Monsanto, insists that the hormone is safe, Akre and Wilson turned up testimony to the contrary: Farmers who began using rBGH reported seeing health problems in their cattle.

A special website that has been set up to report on the use of rBGH in dairy cattle says, "Though legal since approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993, the artificial hormone commonly known as rBGH has been linked to cancer and is banned throughout Europe and unapproved in several other countries because of human health concerns."

The public did not want unnatural stuff in their milk, cheese and ice cream, and grocers knew this. However, because milk from different dairy farms sometimes gets mixed together, it was difficult for the grocers to know whether their milk products did or did not contain rBGH. Furthermore, Monsanto lobbied very hard against the labelling of products, which would give consumers more information and more choices.

Akre and Wilson presented their report to their bosses at WTVT, a news station owned by the Fox network. Although the details were well-documented, Monsanto, the maker of rBGH, pressured WTVT not to run the story. The station bosses, in turn, ordered Akre and Wilson to falsify details of the story. Akre and Wilson re-wrote the story 70 times, but never to the satisfaction of the network. They were locked out of their offices, denied access to crucial bits of information, and finally fired. The story ran in many independent journalism outlets, including The Texas Observer and the publication of FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting), and Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly.

There is a law called the Whistleblowers Act that protects people from this sort of abuse, and Akre and Wilson invoked this law by suing Fox for misconduct.

After a five-week trial, a Florida jury hearing the case decided that Fox had "acted intentionally and deliberately to falsify or distort the plaintiffs' news reporting on BGH." Jane Akre was awarded damages for the loss of her job, and may also apply for reimbursement of her legal fees.

http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=j_akre

“Dirty Electricity”

Samuel Milham’s book “Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization” was published in July 2010 (available from iUniverse, Amazon etc.).

It presents compelling evidence for the link between exposure to electromagnetic fields and most of the 20th-century diseases of civilization, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and suicide. Dr. Milham, Washington State’s former chief  epidemiologist and winner of the 1997 Ramazzini prize, also warns that because of the recent proliferation of radio frequency radiation from mobile phones and masts, WiFi, broadband over power-lines and personal electronic equipment, we may be facing an epidemic of morbidity and mortality.

Early Programming of Appetite, Type 2 Diabetes, Breast Cancer and Ageing (Reported at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12668519, on 8 March 2011)

‘The major focus of our research is to understand the mechanistic basis of the relationships between poor early growth and subsequent increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, breast cancer and premature death. There are a large number of epidemiological studies suggesting that such relationships exist, however the molecular mechanisms mediating such phenomena are not understood.’  Susan Ozanne *

The Cambridge University Institute of Metabolic Science is seeking mechanisms by which early environment and poor early growth correlate with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Insulin-signaling defects in humans may provide early indications of metabolic disease, as may early defects in adults who had a low birth weight. Ongoing studies in placenta will relate the expression of insulin signaling molecules to the nutritional status of both mother and baby.

Molecular markers for prediction of risk of type 2 diabetes in later life are being studied in a rodent model of early nutritional growth restriction. Defects in the pancreas, muscle, liver and adipose tissue in growth restricted rats are studied to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes such as the role of epigenetic alterations.

Appetite is shown to be programmed by maternal nutrition during lactation. Down-regulation of appetite is seen to be secondary to poor maternal nutrition and so powerful that it prevents diet-induced obesity in mice. Restriction of growth during suckling increases life-span, during fetal life decreases life-span, changes that are associated with differences in kidney telomere length. They are examining telomere length, and expression of stress response proteins, that underlie the ageing process.

* Reader in Developmental Endocrinology, University of Cambridge Clinical School. See http://www.mrl.ims.cam.ac.uk/staff/PI/Ozanne/

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The McCarrison Society for Nutrition and Health
President
Professor Michael A. Crawford, PhD, CBiol, FIBiol, FRCPath.
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Encephaloscans from Association de Recherche Thérapeutique Anti-Cancéreuse (ARTAC) See pages 22-23

Before Philippe's arrival in the Forêt de Saoû.

The circulation levels in several areas of both hemispheres are seriously affected.

After Philippe had lived for three months in the Forêt de Saoû, an area with very low artificial radiation. The circulation levels in both hemispheres of the brain are significantly improved.

Philippe was no longer in a weakened state.

Dietary Quality & Generational Health

The Fruits of Considering Nutrition with Evolution

Only when we understand the conditions under which our forebears evolved will we be able to understand how to avoid the 'diseases of civilisation' and to ensure that the brain, the organ that enabled us to rise to dominance over the rest of creation, continues to evolve positively, hopefully in sensitivity as well as capability.

Since the late 19th century when neo-Darwinism became common currency (which period coincided with the early use of artificial fertilizers) an ever-widening gulf has appeared in the understanding that health is related to dietary quality

Authors Crawford, M.; March, D. 1995 pp. xiv+298 pp.

NL 44/3 March 2011: Editor: David Marsh mail @ davidmarsh.org.uk
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