October 1, 2012 

The chemical issue continues.   

In a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association we see a link between obesity and common chemicals like bisphenol A.  Children with higher urinary concentrations of BPA had more issues with obesity.  

From a Wall Street Journal commentary we have:

"Researchers in the latest study cautioned that the findings don't necessarily mean that BPA plays a role in the development of obesity and that it is possible that obese children and adolescents ate food with higher BPA concentrations than thinner children or that they have higher amounts of BPA stored in fat tissue."

"In July, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups even though manufacturers had already stopped using the chemical because of health concerns. However, the FDA stopped short of banning use of the chemical in metal can liners and other plastics, saying there isn't proof that exposure to low levels of BPA through diet are unsafe."

"The agency said it would review the new research as "part of its ongoing evaluation of the safety of BPA" but also said it "sees substantial uncertainties with respect to the overall interpretation of many published studies, and, particularly, their potential implications for human health effects of BPA exposure."

The study looked at the BPA concentrations in the urine of over 2800 children between 6 and 19 years old.  Those in the lowest BPA quartile had an obesity rate of 10.3% while children and adolescents in the second group had an obesity rate of 19%. The obesity rate was 20.1% in the third group and 22.3% in the fourth group, with the highest BPA concentration. 

BPA is just the poster child for chemicals of all kinds that are potentially dangerous and untested in children.  Is BPA causing the obesity epidemic alone?  This is highly unlikely.  It is a piece of a larger puzzle that I call unnatural living.  

We need to take this study and use it to push us toward a natural paradigm of healthy eating with chemical avoidance where possible.  This will give us the best chance at survival in the test tube of FDA policy or anti-policy depending on how you see it. 

Vitamin B12 or cobalamin.  What is the issue with B12? 

Vitamin B12 is one of 8 water soluble B vitamins that is found primarily in animal products including liver, shellfish, chicken, beef and dairy.  

B12 is produced by bacteria in the guts of animals of all kinds. Thus, it is especially hard for vegans to get B12 from a purely plant based diet. Some plants, if unwashed, contain minimal amounts of B12 from bacteria in the dirt.

Unfortunately, not washing your plants is a very bad idea because of the risk of ingesting pathogenic bacteria and pesticide. 

What does B12 do? 

B12 is critical for every cells fatty acid synthesis and metabolism.  It is necessary for normal brain and blood function.  Most importantly, we now know that it is responsible for DNA synthesis and regulation.

This is critical to what we call the methylation cycle and epigenetics, i.e. how the book of life in every cell is interpreted.  People with poor methylation systems are susceptible to DNA misinterpretations and disease.  

Pay attention to your sources of B12, especially if you avoid animal products.