Drugs in our Drinking Water?



Consider this:

a. Americans are prescribed over 235 million doses of antibiotics each year.

b. Livestock and poultry are given another 21 million pounds of antibiotics per year.

c. Add to that, millions of doses of antidepressants, anticancer drugs, hormones, steroids, non steroidals, anti-hypertensives, and anti-cholesterols?

Up to 90% of the active ingredients of these drugs are returned to the environment unchanged, and end up in the ground water, soil and drinking water.

What are the implications for the environment, wildlife and us humans?
Who knows? No one has looked.

But we know they are there.

The US Geological Survey found that in 139 streams tested in 30 states, 80% were contaminated with antibiotics, steroids, synthetic hormones or other drugs, and half contained seven or more compounds.

Consequences?

1. Antibiotic resistant bacteria – according to the CDC, there are 2 million nosocomial infections each year resulting in 90,000 deaths. More than 70% of these infections are caused by bacteria that were resistant to first line antibiotics.

2. Anti-depressants alter breeding patterns in wild animals by altering serotonin levels. Long term effect? No one knows.

3. Hormones (from birth control pills, etc.) cause feminization of males, premature puberty in females, infertility, low sperm counts and birth defects.

This is not a small problem. Interestingly, today in the park by our house I saw a father and his two children playing in the grass. The younger child was a girl, about 5-7 years old. She had no shirt on. I was taken aback to see that she already had noticeable breast development. Why? See #3 above.

Health comes from healthy organic food, pure water, sunshine, adequate sleep, and healthy relationships.

Drugs, while sometimes necessary in emergencies, are never a long term solution in restoring health, and only lead to damage to the person taking them and to the greater population.

You have choices about your health. Those choices include who you seek health care advice from, and what their paradigm is in helping you to continue or restore your health. Those decisions affect not only your immediate health, but also the long term future and health of all the living organisms on this planet.

Chose intelligently and chose nutrition and supplements over drugs.

Why Buy Organic?

I have long been a proponent of organic foods - I believe they have NEED.
The United Kingdom 's Soil Association is the leading organic certifier for
that region. They published a list of 10 reasons for eating organic - all of
which I agree with:


1. It's healthy. Organic food tends to contain higher levels of
vitamin C, cancer-fighting antioxidants, and essential minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium.

2. No nasty additives. Organic food doesn't contain food additives
that can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis,
migraines and hyperactivity.

3. It avoids pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are
routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in
non-organic food.

4. No genetic modification. Under organic standards, genetically
modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed.

5. There is not a reliance on drugs. Organic farming standards
prohibit the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones in farm animals.

6. There are no hidden costs. As taxpayers, we pay for chemicals
to be removed from our drinking water - including the pesticide runoff from
conventional farms.

7. There are high standards. Organic food comes from trusted
sources that are inspected to ensure compliance to organic standards.

8. Organic methods provide for animals. Animal welfare is taken
very seriously under organic standards.

9. It's good for wildlife and the environment. The UK government
has said that organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution
from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide - the main global warming gas -
and less dangerous wastes.

10. It's flavorful. Many people prefer organic food because they
say it tastes better.

Can you afford not to eat eggs?


I like eggs. I eat 3-5 of them nearly every day. I have for years. My cholesterol is 187 with an HDL of 87 (high normal 70). My genetics would say otherwise. My grandfather and father had heart disease and died of it prematurely.

Eggs have the best protein of any food, but only if you eat the yolks at the same time you eat the whites. Many people are actually protein deficient because they do not eat enough quality protein. Eggs have the most quality of any food. So they are important to eat. When one eats only the white of the egg, one reduces the quality of the protein by over 60%.

There is no scientific evidence that eggs cause heart attacks as shown in an extensive review of the world's scientific literature in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (July-August 2009).

Eggs do have cholesterol. But cholesterol is an essential nutrient for every cell in the body. Good news is that the Framingham Heart Study found that high-egg eaters had lower cholesterol levels than very-low egg eaters. So eat your eggs yolks and all, but while you're doing so, avoid all simple sugars, grains, and dairy products. And do eat large quantities of organic fruits and vegetables. And make sure the eggs are free range from chickens who are not being given hormones. Then you get a really tasty and healthy food.