It seems the more people wake up to environmental sustainability, holistic health, and whole food nutrition, the stronger the backlash from corporate interests. But the rising tide of interest in a more sustainable, nourishing way of life will not be contained. In that spirit, here are this week’s Green Links:
1. In case you haven’t heard the reports, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending cholesterol screening for kids as young as two if there are weight issues or a family history of heart attacks or high cholesterol.
And if the kids have high cholesterol levels? Medicate! According to the New York Times, “Proponents say there is growing evidence that the first signs of heart disease show up in childhood.” And: “For some children, cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, may be their best hope of lowering their risk of early heart attack, proponents said.” Just exactly who are these “proponents?”
It would seem Big Pharma wants to market their best-selling drug with horrible, lingering side effects to our children now. Hello? When is the mainstream going to accept the overwhelming scientific evidence that foods containing cholesterol and saturated fat DO NOT cause heart disease! In fact most of the grey matter in our brains is made of cholesterol, and kids—more than anyone else—need plenty of cholesterol to help their growing, learning minds. Read The Great Cholesterol Con for a complete overview of the overwhelming scientific data that cholesterol and saturated fats in our food are NOT bad for us. Or read this article, listen to this radio show, or watch this movie for similar information.
The real culprit in our fight against heart disease, obesity and cancer is corn and soybeans and the Omega 6 fatty acids they contain that make up the majority of our diet. Read the latest news about this from Prevention Magazine here.
2. And speaking of healthy eating, this week, Amelia Hill at The Guardian Observer out of London tells us that fixation with healthy eating can be a sign of a serious psychological disorder. It would seem that orthorexia nervosa is a grave new eating disorder characterized by refusing to touch sugar, table salt, caffeine, alcohol, wheat, gluten, yeast, soy, corn, animal or dairy foods, among other foods deemed “taboo” by those with the disorder. Any foods that have come into contact with pesticides, herbicides or contain artificial additives are also out.
Sufferers of this horrible affliction tend to be “middle-class, well-educated people who read about food scares in the papers, research them on the internet, and have the time and money to source what they believe to be purer alternatives.”
Wow, so now those of us who have celiac disease or other food allergies, or who are trying to eat a healthy, eco-friendly, humane, whole foods diet, or who want to avoid the hundreds of toxic chemicals added to our foods have a MENTAL DISORDER? Amazing. (Never mind that the author severely misrepresented the true symptoms of orthorexia nervosa.)
Please write to Ms. Hill and tell her exactly where she can put her eating disorder at letters@observer.co.uk.
3. You’ve probably heard about the recent British FSA (Food Standards Agency) study that challenges the superiority of organic foods to their conventional counterparts. If you’re like me, your immediate reaction was probably “bullpucky,” and you’ve no doubt been patiently waiting for the real story. This week, The Organic Center responds brilliantly to the FSA study by noting that the FSA drew conclusions about organic food that are NOT supported by their data:
“Despite the fact that three categories of nutrients favored organic foods, and none favored conventionally grown foods, the London-based team concluded that there are no nutritional differences between organically and conventionally grown crops.”
A team of scientists convened by The Organic Center (TOC) carried out a similar, but more rigorous, review of the same literature. The TOC team analyzed published research just on plant-based foods. Results differ significantly from the more narrow FSA review and are reported in the study “New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based Organic Foods.”
Apparently, even according to the FSA study itself, organic food IS indeed MORE nutritious than conventional food, and the report we heard last week is just another attempt to discredit the growing demand for organic, sustainable, toxin-free food.
Give it up, Big Agra, the tipping point is almost here, and you can’t stop it.
4. And speaking of tipping points, this eloquent preface to a new book called Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown at the Earth Policy Institute explains that “we are in a race between tipping points in nature and our political systems. Can we phase out coal-fired power plants before the melting of the Greenland ice sheet becomes irreversible? Can we gather the political will to halt deforestation in the Amazon before its growing vulnerability to fire takes it to the point of no return? Can we help countries stabilize population before they become failing states?”
Plan B 3.0 outlines a survival strategy for our early twenty-first-century civilization. Brown explains, “We have the technologies to restore the earth’s natural support systems, to eradicate poverty, to stabilize population, and to restructure the world energy economy and stabilize climate. The challenge now is to build the political will to do so. Saving civilization is not a spectator sport. Each of us has a leading role to play.”
Indeed.
What role will you play this week to help create a more sustainable future for your family?
Here’s a video to inspire you…
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Cardiologist Peter Langsjoen notes that statin treatment may lead to heart muscle weakening and failure. ‘It occurs because statin drugs block the production of coenzyme Q10, vital for the production of cell energy,’ says Langsjoen. ‘Evidence to the FDA shows marked reduction of CoQ10 in patients on statin drugs.’
Aother point to be borne in mind is the use of long term drug therapy to lower cholesterol levels, where it is unclear what the full effects might be over a 30 year period. In spite of this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives approval for this class of drugs on the basis of less than 10 years’ clinical trials. So the thought of using statins on children with developing body’s is a very dangerous path to tread in my opinion.
I appreciate your sharing the news on the myth on high cholesterol and saturated fats. I have my Google Alerts set to email me whenever new blogs or web articles address Cholesterol. 90% of them still believe in this garbage, age-old cholesterol myth.
http://productreviewratings.com/2009/01/how-to-lower-cholesterol-fears/
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