The Central Nervous System Responds to Toxins

Research has proven disrupting chemicals that target our central nervous system can upset the communication between our endocrine and metabolic systems and organs including our skin and microbiome.

Why is microbiome important? “Gut bacteria produce hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate basic physiological processes as well as mental processes such as learning, memory and mood. For example, gut bacteria manufacture about 95% of the body’s supply of serotonin, which influences both mood and GI activity.” (1)

Here are 8 toxic exposures that can be found to be disruptive

1-Caffeine is undeniably a central nervous system stimulant and disrupts microbiome.” It stimulates the brain, increases the secretion of adrenaline and boosts heart rate.  It can cause “adrenal fatigue.”  Long-term use in excess of 250 to 300 mg daily may cause numerous health problems” according to Mark Mayell, author of ‘Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well’  page 112. “Caffeine depletes the body of B Vitamins, which you need for proper brain and nervous system functioning and for converting food to energy, says Michael Murray, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Seattle and author of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Getting Well Naturally.”

2-Breathing in toxic scents can harm our central nervous system. These toxic scents include petroleum candles, incense or perfumes.  These scents can cause internal toxicity within our brain, microbiome, liver and heart heath.(2)

In the book “The Brain Wash” by Michelle Schoffro Cook, there are seven most common chemicals found in dryer sheets and their effect on the central nervous system. These include:

Alpha-Terpineol

Benzyl Alcohol

Camphor

Chloroform on the EPA’s

Ethyl Acetate

Linalool

Pentane

3-Exposure to mercury can cause negative effects to our central nervous systems, kidneys, microbiome, and cardiovascular health. According to Environmental Health Sciences Center,”the nervous system is the principal target for a number of metals. Inorganic compounds of aluminum, arsenic, lead, mercury, and thallium are well known for their neurological and behavioral effects in humans.”(3)

4-Gluten related products have a negative effect on good gut bacteria, our immune system, digestive system and nervous system and therefore affects the brain cells. Gluten also adds to an acid internal environment. More information can be found in the book, ‘Brain Grain’ by Dr Perlmutter.

5-Alcohol depresses almost every brain function, contracts brain tissues, shrinks the brain, and destroys brain cells. It disrupts microbiome, and interferes with balance and breathing.

6-Psychological stress and sugary foods, (that increase stress) affects the immune system, skin and  microbiome. “The microbiome-brain-gut axis is emerging which suggests that modulation of the gut microflora may be a tractable strategy for developing novel therapeutics for complex stress-related CNS disorders.”(4) The exciting news is we can use this information to fight Parkinson’s disease according to World Journal of Gastroenterology.(5)

7-Pesticides found in foods can disrupt our central nervous system and gut microbiome. The University of Washington, Department of Medicine explains how the brain is disrupted by pesticides and can be linked to most Central Nervous System Disease.(6)  The herbicide Glyphosate™ the active ingredient in Roundup® is also very disruptive to cellular systems throughout the body causing inflammation, neurotoxicity and increased risk for Alzheimer’s.

8-“Medications such as antibiotics are xenobiotics in humans.” (7)  have been noted to cause central nervous system toxicity.(7a) “For instance, Levaquin which was the best-selling antibiotic in 2010, faces thousands of lawsuits a year from people who have been seriously harmed after taking it. The reactions can be body-wide, impacting the central nervous system, microbiome, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously.”(8)

“It is well documented that tricyclic antidepressant drugs act on 5-HT and NA receptors both in the central nervous system and in the cardiovascular system. Fluoxetine is also known to interfere with 5-HT receptors and/or signal transduction pathways in central nervous system.”(9)

Research  evidenced that Acetaminophen is found disruptive in the central nervous system.(10)

“For more than 15 years, experts have known that NSAIDs increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Vioxx, a type of NSAID called a COX-2 inhibitor caused as many as 140,000 heart attacks in the U.S. during the five years it was on the market. Vioxx was removed from the market in 2004. The regrettable experience with Vioxx raised awareness about the cardiovascular risk of NSAIDs, and led to further studies by Harvard Health Publications showing that the risk is not limited to Vioxx but is associated with all NSAIDs.” (11)

“Corticosteroids have been used since the 50s as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of several pathologies such as asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Central Nervous System side effects include, psychiatric and cognitive disturbances.”(12)

Humira is approved for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis but has several side effects including, congestive heart failure and neurological diseases.(13)

What can we do now to improve our health?

Ask your doctor about the side-effects from your prescribed medications.

Know your farmer. Eat more foods that are full of antioxidants. These include colorful organic berries and green leafy veggies such as spinach and kale. Organic Beets are good for our heart and central nervous system.

Ditch the toxic scents including perfume and dryer sheets.

Learn what heavy metals you are exposing yourself to. Mercury is found in foods, vaccines, cosmetics and dental amalgams.

Let’s not forget the importance of drinking more water for the health of our nervous system. The brain is about 75% water. Water is vitally important for communication to the central nervous system, microbiome and the skin. Dehydration can actually increase premature aging.

It may be time to visit your chiropractor. According to The Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association, “scientific studies used animal preparations for physiological effects of spinal manipulation. Biomechanical changes caused by spinal manipulation are thought to have positive physiological consequences to our central nervous system.”(14)

Self care is important. Talk to your certified health coach. She can encourage positive ways to help you work through stress and eliminate toxins.

Connie Rogers is a Certified Integrative Holistic Health Coach and Published Author of Path to a Healthy Mind & Body

Websites www.bitesizepieces.net   and  www.thehealthguru.net

footnotes:

1- http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx

2- http://www.scsu.edu/news_article.aspx?news_id=832  see also https://nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/P1009BZL.pdf

3- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1474439/

4- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24281320

5- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4588083/

6- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18032333  see also  http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-736X2011000700009&script=sci_arttext

7- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3552296/

7a- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24275175

8- http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm365050.htm

9- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566050/

10- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11531168

11- http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fda-strengthens-warning-that-nsaids-increase-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-201507138138

12- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3853679/

13- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16011443

14- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045034/

The Central Nervous System Responds to Toxins

Herbalife Convertibles: The Hedgers Are Receiving Nervous

Effectively, it might be taking place with Herbalife. Or at least, it may possibly be starting up.  The organization is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission, and even though it is placing on a brave encounter publicly, management are not able to be satisfied with these most recent developments.  As I compose this the stock is down about 8% on the day. Bill Ackman, who has claimed the organization is an illegal pyramid scheme that will sooner or later be shut down, has to like what he is seeing.

Final month, when Herbalife Herbalife announced its new convertible bond, I discussed some of the implications of the deal.  In some respects the bond appeared designed to squeeze brief-sellers by producing a new group of traders probably willing to pay out to borrow the stock.  But given that Herbalife created arrangements, basically, to lend phantom stock to hedge funds, the deal did not (at least at first) develop any kind of squeeze.

I did note, however, that one particular of the central tenets of convertible investing—that a bond holds its worth reasonably well even when the underlying stock will get beaten up—might not apply to Herbalife.  Portion of the issue, as one of the smartest convertible guys I know explained, is that Herbalife’s volatility may well be “existential”—in other phrases, there is concern that the problem major to the stock’s sharp decline could conceivably destroy the business.  This is what we contact “bad volatility.”  Very good volatility applies solely to a stock’s valuation, but not to its legitimacy as a going concern.

Other problems with Herbalife are the company’s debt load, which whilst seemingly manageable now could grow to be highly problematic with a key stock decline, and some of the likely complications with borrowing the stock for hedgers. If short-sellers pile on a falling Herbalife stock—something they have been acknowledged to do—convertible hedgers will become increasingly dependent on the phantom stock, or borrow facility, arranged by the firm. Individuals hedgers unwilling to consider this danger are likely to consider their lumps and sell the bonds, accepting a specified reasonable loss alternatively of exposing themselves to a possibly much bigger one particular if the borrow facility ought to come unglued.

Early indications show that the convertible marketplace is without a doubt worried about how this may perform out. Herbalife’s convertibles are looking for their new degree with the stock hovering around 60 (about an 8% decline on the day).  The bonds have been quoted in the mid-80’s when the stock was down close to $ 57, though it subsequently bounced back to close to $ 60 and lifted the bond quote a couple of points.  As I compose this the stock is somewhat over 60 and the bonds would possibly be quoted, for an educated guess, close to the 87-88 degree.

This isn’t good. The bonds had been originally priced at one hundred with the stock at 69.02.  So the stock is down about 13% and—guess what—so, it seems, are the bonds. Convertibles are supposed to do a whole lot better than this, although, in fairness, you can’t completely indict a bond off brief-phrase functionality. Still, an investor would typically hope that a convertible in this scenario would only fall by about half the percentage of the stock, which would have had the bonds around 93-94 rather of 87-88.

One particular see is that most of the bonds had been initially offered to hedge funds, which were enticed to buy each by the borrow facility and by a belief that the $ 1 billion deal would turn into a convertible index benchmark issue. If the bond had been to be incorporated in the major convertible indices, outright (unhedged) customers whose functionality is measured versus those indices would essentially be forced to buy, in spite of their discomfort with the credit score.  But apparently the index inclusion has not taken place, and nervous hedge funds are now scrambling to get out.

For institutional traders who think in the Herbalife story (one more issue with the bond is that, like a lot of newly issued convertibles, it is a private placement that will not become offered to most personal traders for a year or so, unless they personal the bond by means of a mutual fund), the convertible promote-off may be an chance to perform the identify on a lot more appealing terms.  But for now handful of investors seem interested. To be continued.

Herbalife Convertibles: The Hedgers Are Receiving Nervous