Does BPA make girls anxious, hyperactive, etc

Girls exposed before birth to high levels of the estrogen-like chemical BPA are more likely to be anxious, depressed and hyperactive at age 3, according to a study in today's Pediatrics.

Boys' behaviour was unaffected by BPA, the study says.

Scientists in recent years have linked BPA, or bisphenol A, to a wide variety of health problems, from breast cancer to diabetes. 

BPA is found in countless consumer products, from plastic bottles to dental sealants, medical equipment, receipt paper and the linings of metal food and drink cans.

Virtually everyone is exposed to BPA. Authors of the new study found BPA in the urine of more than 97% of the 240 pregnant women studied, as well as 97% of their children. 

Being exposed to high BPA levels after birth didn't appear to affect behavior, says study author, Joe Braun, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health.

That could be because BPA, like lead and other toxins, causes the greatest harm before birth, when the fetal brain is developing, says pediatrician Philip Landrigan, a professor at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, who was not involved in the new study. "Parents should be concerned about these findings," Landrigan says.

About 12% of boys and 6% of girls have been diagnosed with ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be depressed or anxious, Braun says. Few kids in the study were depressed or anxious enough to meet the requirements for a clinical diagnosis, says Braun, noting that only 2% to 3% of children this age are diagnosed with these problems. 

But Braun says the differences in behaviour between children in his study are comparable to the effects seen with high exposure to toxins such as lead, mercury and pesticides.

Steven Hentges, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, says the study's "conclusions are of unknown relevance to public health." He notes that regulators in Europe, Japan and the USA "have … reviewed hundreds of studies on BPA and repeatedly supported the continued safe use of BPA."

Yet Landrigan says studies like this are precisely why the FDA needs to act to protect people from BPA. In the meantime, he says pregnant women should try to reduce their exposure.

Research Claims Ritalin Improves Ability to Learn

Research Claims Ritalin Improves Ability to Learn

Ritalin (methylphenidate), a drug prescribed for millions of children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), appears to improve the ability to learn by enhancing the speed of learning. Currently, Ritalin is prescribed to help inhibit impulsive behaviour, which in turn can improve a child’s ability to focus on tasks.

The new finding is the result of research by investigators at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). It is significant because it lets scientists know that Ritalin impacts and improves behaviour through two specific types of neurotransmitter receptors rather than just one. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that act as messengers to allow neurons to communicate with each other.

Previously experts knew that Ritalin enhanced the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine receptor known as D2, which controls the ability to stay focused on a task. The new research shows that another dopamine receptor called D1, which is involved in the ability to learn and learning efficiency, is also affected by Ritalin. Apparently the drug produces these benefits by strengthening the ability of the neurons to communicate with each other at their meeting points, called synapses.

These new findings may allow researchers to develop more efficient drugs to treat ADHD and to improve the ability to focus and learn more efficiently, according to Antonello Bonci, MD, principal investigator at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and professor of neurology at UCSF.

Lactose intolerance, MSG and Hyper-Activity Disorders

To answer a question you did not ask, I would like to confess to you that I am lactose intolerant. Something that I am convinced was triggered late in life by living in Holland for a number of years and overdosing on excessive hidden milk additives in food.

Holland's economy is partly agricultural based and they are dedicated to over-producing milk products. They are a smart and inventive people, which means they are very inventive in coming up with ways to dispose of the glut of milk produced.

Leaving aside their apparent addiction to cheese products, they largely dispose of excessive milk products by introducing them into as many food products as is possible, normally in the form of milk powder.

This is also a very good way of preserving a deteriorating organic product. By simply re-processing into a powder form it can be stored for longer and provide a better profit margin.

Product dilution
Another great benefit from adding a cheap milk powder into convenience foods, is the dilution of the more expensive 'core' products e.g. the meat, and again the producer can increase their profit margins on that product.

Avoiding additives
The simple answer has been to avoid convenience and pre-prepared fast food and to cook with fresh products and fresh herbal ingredients. It is the only way to control what goes into your food and to avoid potential irritants.

MSG
The lactose content in fast pre-prepared foods is extensive, as is the flavour enhancing salt, Mono-sodium Glutamate (MSG). This salt creates a 'craving' and addictive desire for certain fast convenience foods. It is used extensively in Chinese, Thai and Malaysian foods to give it more 'flavour.'

Unfortunately, I have also been served Italian food in the form of garlic bread and pizza that was covered in MSG and therefore rendered inedible.

Hyper-activity disorders
The inclusion of Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG) in everyday foods creates an addiction for fast convenience food, creating a craving and a tendency to over-eat. So, the onset of obesity is an inevitable direct result.

MSG also causes an increase in heart rate, which can be either uncomfortable and disconcerting or down right dangerous if you suffer from a heart condition or a hyper-activity condition.

Sugar and Caffeine
Sugar and Caffeine are a stimulant for everyone and should only be given to children in small doses. This is the case for all children not just for children with a hyper-activity disorders.

Summary
I will stop now before I give you an anxiety attack but don't be over concerned about additives in foods, just be aware that they are there and they are there for the products benefit, not yours. Be aware and be selective.

Preparing your family's food from fresh products is always the best way forward and it's what our parents did. Perhaps that is why they did not suffer from the conditions that we are now experiencing, and perhaps not. All I know is that I am happier, healthier and fitter if I avoid and refuse convenience foods.

If you feel that you do not have the time or the opportunity to prepare fresh products then that is a 'time management ' problem that I am happy to help you with.

I would love to hear your comments and opinions on additives and the use of food in modern society.