Study Reveals New Brain Threat in Your Salad

By Natalie Moore Posted April 8, 2016

• You’ve got more to worry about than just Roundup
• The wakeup call regulatory agencies are ignoring
• Today’s produce may sprout trouble for the future 

Dear Reader,

“I’ll have the chopped spinach salad, vinaigrette on the side — oh, and add some apples and grapes.”

This is my lunch order about once a week. It’s light, tasty and chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — the perfect way to satisfy my midday hunger and not fall victim to the carb coma caused by burgers and fries.

I always felt good about my choices on salad day. Well, until recently.

You see, last week, I read a new study that made me think twice about my leafy-green lunch choices — and after reading this article, you might too.

I should mention, though, it’s not the fruit and veggies causing my dietary doubt — it’s the chemicals used while producing them. This means I am more terrified of what is on my produce and the negative health outcomes it’s associated with than what is in the produce.

Today, I will reveal what exactly on your fruit and veggies is threatening your health and one easy way to avoid it.

Let’s take a look at the study first.

Alzheimer’s Salad

I know, I know… it’s not news that our food supply is covered in a variety of toxins. You have probably already heard of the health dangers and diseases associated with Roundup and other pesticides, but it looks like there is a new chemical culprit to worry about — a class of fungicides called strobilurins.

Stobilurins were approved for use on food crops around 20 years ago. Since their arrival on the agricultural scene, strobilurins have often served as a chemical fungus shield on crops like spinach, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, pears, and grapes (almost all of the components of my lunch — yum!).

Recently, researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine exposed mouse brain cells to the strobilurins fungicides in a lab — what they found was astounding!

After exposure to strobilurins, brain cells began to produce genetic changes seen in human diseases — specifically autism and Alzheimer’s.

Upon further investigation, the scientists found that the fungicides were disrupting mitochondria, the “powerhouses” of the cell, and causing reduced activity of specific genes involved in synaptic transmission, the mechanism neurons use to communicate with each other. At the same time, activity in genes related to nervous system inflammation increased.

Other tests on the mouse neurons proved the fungicides can trigger the production of free radicals, which can wreak havoc on the brain cell structures and destroy structures that may affect the communication abilities of mature neurons, while also hindering the activity of neurons in the developing brain.

While the research shows strobilurins produce Alzheimer’s-like and autism-like marks in the gene expressions of mice, the scientists can’t prove the chemicals cause these conditions.

However, it does shed light on what strobilurins may do to the human brain.

Mark Zylka, Ph.D., associate professor of cell biology and physiology at UNC and senior author of the study reports, “What this work provides is evidence that these chemicals are bad for neurons. They turn the same genes on or off that you see not only in autism brains, but also in neurodegeneration [Alzheimer’s].”²

Future Brains

Jeannie T. Lee MD, Ph.D., professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, expands on this idea. While she wasn’t involved in this study, she has a lot to say about future implications of these fungicides:

This is a very important study that should serve as a wake-up call to regulatory agencies and the general medical community. The work is timely and has wide-ranging implications not only for diseases like autism, Parkinson’s, and cancer, but also for the health of future generations. I suspect that a number of these chemicals will turn out to have effects on transgenerational inheritance.¹

This means that the neurological effects of these chemicals have the potential to expand past the person eating the food today and end up affecting their children and future generations through genetic changes.

And while the study did provide valuable information on the effect of these fungicides on health, it still left some unanswered questions. Zylka went on to say:

The question is does it get into our bodies at levels that are sufficient to get into the brain and cause some of the effects we see in these cultures? It’s definitely on our food at pretty high levels… These fungicides are bad news for neurons. So I now purchase organic whenever possible, and especially for my young kids. I would prefer not to be exposed to chemicals like this, especially after seeing what they do to neurons.²

So there you have, it…

Since you can’t depend on regulatory agencies to protect your health, the best way to avoid these dangers for yourself and your family, once again, is to buy organic when you can.

Rest assured this doesn’t mean I am going to stop my salad habit. It just means I will double-check that the produce is organic from now on.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

P.S. Living Well’s Chief Health Officer, Brad Lemley, has uncovered one specific brain threat that puts over 27 million Americans at risk right now. And the scariest part — this threat is actually endorsed by our modern medical system.

Because of this, Brad is hosting a one-of-a-kind FREE live event just for people like you. This event will help you to discover the root causes of this growing health problem. Plus, it lays out a simple and easy plan to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Again, this live event is completely FREE to attend, and you can watch it from the comfort of your own home. Simply click below for all the details and to claim your spot at this one-of-a-kind event.

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: nmoore@lfb.org – and click here to like us on Facebook.

Sources

^[1] Could a new class of fungicides play a role in autism, neurodegenerative diseases?

^[2] Agricultural fungicides are ‘bad news for neurons’, study suggests

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

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