The Bottom Line on Chlorpyrifos

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Today’s health news is full of controversy, some based on reality but most not. Typically, I would have concluded that the op-ed piece was just that: an opinion that exaggerated the facts to put forth a specific point of view. But before I go further, let me be clear: I’m not in favor of any pesticides if they can possibly be avoided. But we also live with the necessity of feeding billions of people and can’t afford to lose crops; we judge fruits and vegetables by appearance because we no longer know the grower personally. There may be some chemicals that are necessary to get that done. The issue comes down to the question of safety. That’s where all the research I read comes into play.

PON1

When I attempted to find the statistics on chlorpyrifos, I came across a large body of research that examined how organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos were eliminated by the body. The paraoxonase 1 gene (PON1) makes enzymes that help the liver and kidney detoxify chemicals such as chlorpyrifos (1). Research on several groups of subjects show that if exposure doesn’t exceed the detoxification capacity of the body, the current tolerance limits are safe for most people.

The problem is similar to what we find in other genes: there are mutations of the PON1 gene that affect the ability of the gene to produce enough enzymes to detoxify the body effectively (2). If the body isn’t able to detoxify itself, the amounts of chlorpyrifos in the body can exceed safe levels. That means that those with the PON1 mutation may be most at risk for chlorpyrifos exposure.

Or maybe not. Again it comes down to exposure. In a study of farm workers chronically exposed to chlorpyrifos, there was no difference in the gene mutations with the ability to detoxify (3). In another study, blood samples with normal and mutated PON1 genes were exposed to high and low levels of chlorpyrifos; the high levels negatively affected the mutated version of the PON1. The low levels, reflective of typical environmental exposure, showed no negative effect (4).

The issue is one of exposure, whether someone has the PON1 mutation or not. Research shows that mothers and children who live in agricultural areas are more at risk to having higher levels of organophosphates in their systems. What isn’t clear is the impact of genetic mutations that result in health issues.

In a recently published paper, researchers found that infants born to mothers with the PON1 mutation and exposed to environmental organophosphates had smaller head circumferences relative to size (5). Whether that translates to reduced IQ or other neurological conditions remains to be seen.

The Impact of Nutrients on Chlorpyrifos Exposure

Several studies demonstrated potential benefits of nutrients on chlorpyrifos exposure. PON1 is also related to cardiovascular health. In a study of over 400 subjects, those subjects with a mutated version of the PON1 gene and with higher amounts of polyphenols from fruit and vegetable intake did better in measures of cardiovascular risk such as high cholesterol (6).

In another study, subjects who consumed organic honey as a supplement experienced less damage and better DNA repair after chronic exposure to organophosphates (7). The polyphenols in the honey were identified as the primary factor related to the repair process.

Finally, in a study of pregnant women and their offspring, researchers examined the affect of folic acid intake in those women who were and were not exposed to organophosphates (8). Those who had a greater than 800 mcg intake during their first month of pregnancy when exposed to pesticides had fewer children with autism spectrum disorder.

While all of this research is recent, it seems clear that nutrients can have a positive impact on people who are exposed to organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos and other pesticides.

The Bottom Line

When I began the research on one statement in an op-ed piece, I never imagined it would end up here, but you go where the research takes you. While this research trip took us to the USDA, the PON1 gene, and some nutrients that can be protective against exposure to chlorpyrifos, one fact I was unable to find was that we are exposed to excess amounts from the fruits and vegetables we eat. That statement in the op-ed was false. But in that journey, we learned a lot. It’s not where you begin; it’s where you finish.

Four final points:

  • I think the ban on chlorpyrifos should be reinstated. Tolerance limits doesn’t mean it’s safe for everyone, and not every harmful impact has been examined.
  • Whether the discontinuance is reinstated or not, eat your fruits and vegetables after you wash them carefully. The value of the nutrients for your health exceeds any risk from chemicals that may be present.
  • Add some extra insurance by taking your supplements.
  • If you’re a golfer, you may want to learn the course’s pesticide schedule and avoid those days.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References:
1. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5444.
2. Toxicology. 2013 May 10;307:115-22. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2012.07.011.
3. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2012;265(3):308-15. doi:10.1016/j.taap.2012.08.031.
4. Toxicol Lett. 2014 Oct 1;230(1):57-61. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2014.07.029.
5. Ann Glob Health. 2016; 82(1): 100–110. doi:10.1016/j.aogh.2016.01.009.
6. J Transl Med. 2016 Jun 23;14(1):186. doi: 10.1186/s12967-016-0941-6.
7. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 Oct;60(10):2243-2255.
8. Environ Health Perspect. 2017 Sep 8;125(9):097007. doi: 10.1289/EHP604.

 

Chlorpyrifos: Checking the Statistics

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When I began my research, the one statistic I had to check was that fruits and vegetables contained 140 times the amounts safe for 1–2 year old (1). Was it sensational or based in science? I’m good at what I do, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I did find a lot of interesting studies but not that. I finally wrote the author of the op-ed piece; I didn’t get an answer from him, but I got one from his research assistant who gave me the precise source of the statistic.

Sure enough, page six of the EPA report (2) listed the claim of 140 times the safe amount—except that was not exactly what the EPA found in fruits and vegetables. It was a hypothetical amount that applied to the 100th percentile of potential intake. I spent several days and examined dozens of related articles just to figure out how the number was derived. What I can tell you is that it does not reflect what the exposure may be on the fruits and vegetables children or adults actually consume.

I found that number because every year, the USDA publishes a summary of the pesticides found on and in foods as part of the Pesticide Program (3). This report is the basis for the Environmental Work Group’s Dirty Dozen vegetables and fruits you shouldn’t eat. I examined the data for chlorpyrifos, and here’s what I found:

  • 9,843 samples of 19 fruits and vegetables were analyzed
  • 84 samples contained chlorpyrifos
  • 1 sample out of 84 exceeded the EPA tolerance levels

The amounts actually tested by the EPA did not come close to what was reported in the op-ed piece or what was published in the Registration Review by the EPA Committee. But I found a lot more than that, and I’ll get to that on Saturday

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References:
1. Nicholas Kristof. The New York Times. October 28, 2017.
2. EPA. 11/2016. Chlorpyrifos: Revised Human Health Risk Assessment for Registration Review.
3. www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp

 

A Pesticide Story

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It’s not where you begin; it’s where you end up.

Pesticides are designed to kill bugs on our farms, in our homes, and in our yards. One such pesticide is chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide. It’s a very effective nerve toxin that will essentially kill anything with a nervous system if the exposure is high enough. It was eliminated for in-home and yard use years ago but is still used as a farm pesticide as well as on golf courses and other open areas.

Paula forwarded an op-ed piece from the New York Times that talked about a recent EPA decision to ban this pesticide for all uses; the decision was overturned by the current administration. After years of investigation by numerous scientists that concluded that chlorpyrifos was potentially too toxic, use is going to continue. One statistic in the article that stuck out to me was that the EPA had found levels on fruits and vegetables at levels 140 times what was determined to be safe for children 1–2 years old.

I can’t feed my grandson Riley vegetables and fruits that can harm him, so I had to check that out. I don’t care about the political intrigue; I’m concerned about what’s safe for you as readers and your families as well as my family. But as I said in my opening sentence, where I began is not as important as where I finished. This week will show how complicated eating in the 21st century can be.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References: Nicholas Kristof. The New York Times. October 28, 2017

 

I’m Recommending a Broccoli Bath

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This week’s final question is whether cooking destroys the nutrients in vegetables. If it does, is there any method better than others for preserving the nutrient content? Let’s take a look.

Researchers examined three cooking methods with several vegetables including broccoli. The methods were boiling, sous-vide cooking, and water immersion cooking at temperatures below 212 degrees F, water’s boiling point. The objective was to see the effect on phytonutrient content of each vegetable.

Your first question is probably this: what is sous-vide cooking? I didn’t know even after all the cooking shows I’ve watched. Sous-vide is French for under vacuum. The general idea is that the food is placed in a plastic bag, air is removed by vacuum, and the food is cooked in a water bath at relatively low temperatures (130–150 degrees) for a longer period of time. A low-tech alternative is to place the vegetables in a plastic bag, immerse the bag in water until the air escapes, and submerge it in a low-temp water bath during cooking.

Which worked best? Sous-vide cooking preserved chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity to a greater extent than boiling for all of the vegetables tested. Second was cooking in hot water below the boiling point (150–160 degrees). The lower temperature improved the qualities of the samples cooked in water including the color of the vegetables. Boiling resulted in the greatest loss of the most nutrients.

If you usually microwave broccoli as we do, that’s a good method as well. It compares most closely with cooking vegetables at a low temperature as long as you cook it for as short a time and with as little water as possible. A microwave steamer is your best bet.

The important point is that cooking, including boiling, does not remove all beneficial nutrients. Probiotics will be sacrificed but some vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients will still be in the cooked broccoli.

 

The Bottom Line

The bottom line on broccoli, as well as almost all vegetables, is that processing, whether by cutting, freezing, or cooking, will not remove the nutrients from the vegetables. The most important thing you can do is to eat them. The benefits to your body will be there.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Food Chem. 2017 Feb 15;217:209-216. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.08.067.

 

Would You Eat a Broccoli Popsicle?

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Uh-h-h-h, no. I don’t think I could convince anyone to eat a popsicle made of broccoli. But the question is: does freezing affect the nutrient content of broccoli? If it does, would it increase the nutrients like cutting it up does or lower the nutrient content compared to fresh?

That’s what researchers attempted to find out. They examined several varieties of broccoli that were frozen using an industrial freezing process, a method that’s much faster and colder than freezing vegetables at home. They found that some phytonutrients such as glucosinolates increased while total phenols remained constant in most broccoli cultivars. When they looked at carotenoids, there were higher levels in the industrial frozen broccoli when compared to fresh broccoli.

Why would freezing increase some of the phytonutrients? It may be that cells walls are damaged thus releasing the protective qualities of the phytonutrients. Whatever the reason, you can count on frozen broccoli to give you the phytonutrients we need from this vegetable.

In my research, I found different types of broccoli named Iron Man and Avenger. You want to have your kids eat more broccoli? Plant a garden next year with those catchily named broccoli cultivars and watch it disappear. No broccoli popsicle needed!

Saturday, what does cooking do to broccoli?

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2015 May;66(3):282-8. doi: 10.3109/09637486.2015.1007451.

 

Broccoli: Cut It Up

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In preparing my 2018 nutrition seminar, I came across a paper on why we need to supplement our diet with a multivitamin-multimineral (I’ll be giving an overview of that paper in the next Insider Conference Call next week), and it raised a question. Quality supplements have precise amounts of specific nutrients. But what affects the nutrient content of the foods we eat, specifically vegetables? Processing? Freezing? Cooking? I picked one vegetable, broccoli, to see what I could find.

Let’s start with processing. Researchers decided to see how cutting broccoli would affect phytonutrient content. Phytonutrients are chemicals in plants that help protect the plant; when we eat the plant, they seem to help us as well. The scientists cut broccoli florets several ways: in half, into quarters, chopped it up, and kept a floret whole with just a single cut from the stem. They immediately analyzed the phytonutrient content, then stored them, and analyzed them again 24 hours later. No matter the method of cutting the broccoli, the phytonutrient content increased—yes, it increased. However, cutting the floret into quarters seemed to increase the cancer-fighting isothiocyanates and sulforaphanes the most, immediately and after storing for 24 hours.

Why did the phytonutrients increase? Because they’re designed to protect the plant from harm. Cutting means damage, and the plant is protecting itself.

What can it mean to us? Cutting up our vegetables may increase the phytonutrients that are available to us after we eat them; better yet, cut them up early and store them to give them time to marshal their forces.

Would the same thing happen with chewing? Not exactly as the enzymes in our mouth and digestive system may impede the process.

When you see the cut-up vegetables that dominate salad bars and party trays, think about eating those first before you start eating anything else. Thursday, it’s on to the effects of freezing on nutrient content.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: Molecules. 2017 Apr 15;22(4). pii: E636. doi: 10.3390/molecules22040636.

 

What to Do After a Bypass

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A family friend recently had a quadruple bypass surgery or CABG for short; CABG stands for coronary artery bypass graft. In case you’re thinking all our friends are old, I have to tell you this man is 47; we met him through our kids.

So what happens now? He’ll go through recovery and rehab. Here are the things that I think he has to do short and long term, including some lifestyle changes:

  1. Be patient. It’s going to take time from having your chest split open, your heart stopped, veins from the leg grafted to bypass the blocked arteries, getting sown back up, and then staying out of commission for a while. This was serious surgery and recovery is going to take time.
  2. Do the cardiac rehabilitation. It’s not just exercise to recover from the surgery—exercise should become a permanent part of life. Ask plenty of questions. Know your limitations and don’t exceed them, especially when it comes to weight training. The bones of the sternum have to heal just like any broken bone. As an aside, always exercise with your cell phone. My daughter-in-law made me promise to carry mine when I’m running after I took a tumble. In this case, always means always.
  3. Eat a better diet. Plants rule because of the benefits they provide, so always begin with those. Less saturated fat and fewer refined carbohydrates are also part of the better diet. This is a time to learn how to do it better.
  4. Take your medications as prescribed; this is not the time to start doing things the “natural” way.
  5. If you haven’t been taking a high-EPA fish-oil supplement, start now. Your daily supplements also should include 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 and a good multivitamin-multimineral to fill in nutritional gaps, all with your doctor’s okay.
  6. Expect to be depressed. Nothing gets into your head more than facing your own mortality. Depression is common after surgery. Keep a support group of friends around and work on getting your attitude right; your fellow rehabbers can be a source of commiseration and encouragement. If you need professional help, get it. Depression doesn’t necessarily mean medication; there’s plenty you can do to help yourself, and talking tops the list.
  7. Enjoy your life without reservation. You cannot live your life listening to your heartbeat or constantly checking your pulse. You already know what it feels like to have a compromised heart. If something is wrong, you’ll know and that means you immediately get it checked out. But you can’t live in fear because that’s not living.

Let me repeat an important point about cardiac rehab: it’s never over. Rehab teaches heart attack survivors how to exercise to stay healthy, and it’s important that they never quit.

For those of us who haven’t had to deal with CABG, what we do related to exercise, diet, and stress may help reduce our risk and may prevent it altogether. It really depends on one thing:

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Vaping: The Spit Test

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The use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, is gaining in popularity, especially among young adults. I wouldn’t recommend it because the research is incomplete; here’s the latest study.

Researchers recruited subjects for three groups: 15 non-smokers, 14 e-cigarette users, and 15 cigarette smokers. The researchers had the subjects spit into sterile containers. Then they examined the sputum for abnormalities between the groups.

E-cigarette users had increases in stress proteins usually associated with cigarette smoking. Defense proteins that are generally associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were elevated in e-cigarette uses as well. Vapers also had an increase in sputum components associated with an immune response typically found in cigarette smokers. Finally, proteins generally associated with thicker sputum similar to that found in cigarette smokers were also found in e-cigarette users.

Reduced antioxidant levels. COPD. Alterations in immune function. Thicker spit. Yes, this was a small study. Yes, these are only factors associated with serious lung disorders, not the disorders themselves. But do you see anything that seems to indicate vaping doesn’t have serious risks? You can wait until the research shows the hazards or you can quit vaping now. Your lungs. Your body. Your choice.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

P.S. Get all the info on vaping in one place on the Health Info page under Basic Health Info: “Should You Vape?”

 

Reference: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201708-1590OC.

 

Halloween Haze

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Today is the day adults and children will be walking around in a sugar haze: candy at work, candy at parties, trick or treating and eating the haul. Paula and I have the candy-corn-and-peanuts mix out for Halloween season.

I happened to see the comic Family Circus on Sunday; it was one of those where Billy stopped everywhere on the way home as he planned his trick or treating route to maximize his candy take.

That triggered the recall of a conversation I heard on a sports show. The announcer had planned how he and his daughter were going to divvy up the candy, especially the big candy bars.

I say enjoy it—it’s only a couple of days. Just don’t make it the beginning of regular treats until the end of the year. That would be two solid months of weight gain. Instead, just like the examples above, plan your route to better health during these next two months. Real-Life Detox is a great way to recover from the Halloween sugar haze, Thanksgiving, or even planning your strategy for the New Year.

You can have better health if you plan for it. The time for planning is right now—or as soon as you come out of your sugar haze.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Build Herd Immunity: Vaccinate

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Let’s take a look at both types of herd immunity with the goal of deciding which is better in 2017 when it comes to the flu vaccination.

Natural Herd Immunity

The benefit of natural herd immunity is the innate ability of the immune system to protect against other forms of the same virus. No question that’s a benefit that’s not available via vaccination to any degree. In response to the initial Memo on the flu vaccinations, someone posted a link on Facebook to an interesting study (1).

In that study, researchers examined the immune response of children to the flu vaccine several years ago. The results indicated that vaccinations did not promote the ability of the immune system to manufacture specific types of immune cells that would protect against variations of the viruses in that flu vaccine. It was a small study, but it demonstrates why we need flu vaccinations every year: one shot does not fit all viruses.

The downside to natural herd immunity is obvious: in order to get immunity, lots of people have to get sick. The flu can knock a healthy person out for a few days—inconvenient but not usually life threatening. But for the very young, the elderly, those who are pregnant, and those with an auto-immune disease, it can be life threatening.

The strains this year are not especially virulent, but that begs the question: what if there’s a strain that’s similar to the Spanish flu of 1918-1919? A half million people died in that pandemic. How many people would we be willing to risk to achieve natural herd immunity?

Vaccination Herd Immunity

When it comes to the flu vaccine, there are a couple of concerns besides the potential lack of protection against future viruses. The first is allergies to eggs because the vaccine is typically grown in eggs. Good news: there are some vaccines available that are made from recombinant DNA and thus do not need to be grown in eggs.

The second are the preservatives that are used to keep the vaccine safe when used in multiple doses per vaccine vial. The primary concern is thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that has been used since the 1930s. There are thimerosal-free vaccines available if you want to avoid it altogether; the single-dose vaccination, for example. However the amount and type of mercury found in a vaccination will be eliminated by your liver’s detoxification system within 24 to 48 hours, so I wouldn’t be concerned about it.

The real benefit to vaccination herd immunity is also obvious: lots of people don’t have to get sick in order to gain the immunity to the flu viruses in this year’s flu vaccine. True, we may have to get a yearly flu vaccine, because there are always new viral flu strains. However it seems worth it.

The only issue is getting enough people to get each year’s flu vaccination. The numbers have to get to more than 80% to develop herd immunity.

The Bottom Line

I’ve always recommended that people assess their immune systems before getting a flu shot. As I said last week, I typically don’t get one because I rarely get sick. However, with a two-year-old grandson, I’m more concerned about keeping him safe. He’s very healthy, but viruses don’t discriminate. This is not about me being able to handle the flu if I get it; it’s about trying to prevent those most at risk from getting it. For me, vaccination herd immunity is the correct way to go.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Reference: J Virology. 2011;85(22):11995–12000.