Matthew's Puzzle - Autism Recovery, Gluten Free, Green Living Mom Blog

AOL News, December 21,2010 reported on “Risky business: EPA builds list of potentially dangerous chemicals,” and the Autism Research Review International picked up the story and ran “EPA to release list of chemicals that are most strongly implicated in neurobehavioral disorders”. The list is currently being revised and finalized by a 12-member research team. The preliminary list includes, methylmercury, aluminum, arsenic, bisphenol A, cadmium, chlorpyrifos, DEET, lead, PCBs and phthlates. Methylmercury, according to the website toxins.usgs.gov is an neurotoxin and the form of mercury that is most easily bioaccumalated in organisms.

We have had tests run on Matthew and it shows high levels of both mercury and aluminum in his system. Unfortunately many of the chemicals listed above weren’t even tested for. I attended the ARI Conference (formerly know as Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!)) in Baltimore last year and one of the lecturers mentioned that he was more concerned with cadmium than any other toxin when it came to exposure to children. This is because many toys are made with red colored plastics and to achieve that color they are often made with cadmium. He was further concerned because, unlike lead, cadmium is not restricted in children’s toys. Many toys are made in China and even with restrictions, toys are making it to the US that contain lead. It reasons to be concerned with the levels of cadmium which are not checked at all. And to further the concern, many of these toys are toys children like to mouth. He specifically mentioned some of the beads used in girls jewelry making kits. Often young girls will make a bracelet or necklace with these beads, and even though they are not intended to be placed in the mouth, the girls will chew or suck on their jewelry absentmindedly.

Elise Miller, who is a member of the EPA’s advisory committee on children’s health protection, comments, “it legitimizes the public health concerns. So many consumers hear contradictory reports from different scientific studies highlighted in the media, so having an EPA list more or less ‘settles’ the question of whether or not these are chemicals of concern.

I can’t wait to see this final list of chemicals that are neurotoxins. I also can’t wait to see how this may or may not affect their distribution and cleanup. Stay well.

I just added a sprinkle of cinnamon to my morning coffee. So delicious and so comforting. Really, there aren’t that many spices, at least ones that most Americans use on a regular basis, that are so warming as cinnamon. We love it in our pies, think apple or pumpkin. They wouldn’t be the same without it. And what would a bowl of steel cut, slow cooked oatmeal be without it? Every Starbuck’s out there keeps a shaker of it by the half and half for you to add as much powered comfort as you like to your venti decaf full fat daily brew. And I can’t imagine what the chewing gum industry would be if cinnamon was no longer available. But did you know that cinnamon is not only one of our favorite flavors but it also may be extremely healthy?

I had heard a few things about cinnamon, but nothing really concrete, and nothing that interesting. But yesterday I read a great article at Natural News about the benefits of cinnamon for lowering blood sugar levels. I urge you to go read the full article, and to check out a similar article from Life Enhancement. I particularly like the Life Enhancement article because it delves a little deeper into the why and how of this little spice. Also, it tells you about the precautions and possible contraindications of cinnamon – such as the fact that you probably wouldn’t want to take a supplement of ground cinnamon as too much of it can act as an anticoagulant. Which would cause your blood to thin. Not a good thing for some people. There are cinnamon extract supplements that don’t have the anticoagulant properties, but you would always want to check with your doctor before you started any such regiment. Both articles talk about the success of cinnamon in lowering blood sugar levels and possibly in helping some control their cholesterol and even lose a little weight. I wonder if it really works?

Just thought you might want to read about this interesting spice. And remember to always check with your doctor before starting one of these supplements. You don’t want to chance that it may not be a good supplement for you. Be well.