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Tuesday, May 28, 2002 Teen Behavior Problems-Are Today’s Teens More Toxic? Oral Clathration Therapy . . . Are Today’s Teens More Toxic? “For decades, researchers have focused on the human health consequences of toxic metals—mainly asking, do they cause cancer?” notes environmental writer Peter Montague, adding. “New research seems to be telling us that we should also be looking at the way these pollutants are affecting human behavior.” Meanwhile J. Robert Hatherill, Ph.D., a research scientist and faculty member of the Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, seriously questions whether teens today carry a heavier toxic burden than at any time in history. “Perhaps in addition to checking our children for guns and explosives we should be checking their blood for elevated levels of toxic chemicals,” he says. Neurotoxicity Theory of Teen Behavioral Problems Sociologists have known for a long time that violent crimes occur more in some places than in others. Some U.S. counties have only 100 violent crimes per 100,000 people per year; other counties have rates of violent crime that are 30 times as high. The question is why some places have high crime rates and others don't. According to the neurotoxicity theory, toxic pollutants, especially toxic metals, cause learning disabilities, an increase in aggressive behavior, and, most important, loss of control over impulsive behavior. This has a ripple effect through the network of children, causing even generally mild children to become progressively more defensive themselves in response to the uncontrollable, impulsive behavior by a few. These traits combined with poverty, social stress, alcohol and drug abuse, individual character, and other social factors contribute to producing individuals who commit violent crimes. In fact, pollution robs children's intelligence and causes them to commit violent crimes including homicide, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and robbery, according to new research by Roger D. Masters and co-workers at Dartmouth College. Thanks to the Dartmouth College research and other studies we now know five major points about the neurotoxic theory of crime: 1. Individuals who engage in criminal behavior are more likely to have absorbed toxic chemicals than a comparable control population. In fact, studies now show that low-level lead and manganese poisoning is associated with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder, which are themselves associated with deviant behavior. Seven additional studies show that violent prisoners have significantly elevated levels of lead, manganese, cadmium, mercury or other toxic metals, compared to prisoners who are not violent. Two additional prospective studies suggest that future violent behavior of young people can be predicted based on their exposure to toxins. Lead uptake by age seven is associated with juvenile delinquency and increased aggression in teenage and early adult years. The largest study of 1,000 black children in Philadelphia showed that both lead levels and anemia were predictors of the number of juvenile offenses, the seriousness of juvenile offenses, and the number of adult offenses, for males. 2. A wealth of studies shows how lead and manganese cause changes in the development of the brain, and in the functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain. Different pollutants harm the brain differently. Lead in the brain damages glia, a kind of cell associated with inhibition and detoxification. Manganese has the effect of lowering levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters associated with impulse control and planning. Low levels of serotonin in the brain are known to cause mood disturbances, poor impulse control, and increases in aggressive behavior, effects that are increasingly treated with Prozac. 3. Children who are raised from birth on infant formula and who are not breast-fed will absorb five times as much manganese as breast-fed infants. Calcium deficiency increases the absorption of manganese. A combination of manganese toxicity and calcium deficiency adds up to reverse Prozac. Also, because metals such as lead diminish a persons’ normal ability to detoxify poisons, lead may heighten the effects of alcohol and drugs. 4. Children are receiving doses of toxic metals sufficient to be associated with violent behavior. Despite recent significant decreases in lead in the environment, because of bans on leaded gasoline and paint, in towns where automobile traffic has historically been high and in towns where industries have released large quantities of toxic metals for years, many local soils still contain toxic quantities of lead, cadmium, and manganese sufficient to poison children who play in the dirt. Aging water delivery systems very likely contribute lead and manganese because lead pipes and even iron pipes contain these toxins. 5. Children absorb up to 50 percent of the lead they ingest, compared to eight percent for adults. Even low exposures in the womb and in early childhood can have permanent effects on intelligence and behavior. It is now known that children exposed in utero to polychlorinated biphenyls the mother absorbs through consumption of contaminated seafood grow up with lowered IQ, poor comprehension and reading skills. Current lead levels are known to have direct effects on neurotransmitters that are known to affect cognition and to influence impulse control and the high highest levels of lead uptake are reported in precisely the demographic groups most likely to commit violent crimes (inner city minority youths). FYI: Toxic Metals & Diet Studies show a synergistic effect between toxic metals and poor diet. It has been thoroughly documented that uptake of lead is greatly increased among individuals who have a diet low in calcium, zinc and essential vitamins. Similarly, as noted above, calcium deficiency greatly increases one’s absorption of manganese. Amounts of lead and manganese that wouldn’t harm a well-nourished individual may poison undernourished children. Federal studies show that black teenage males consume, on average, only about 65 percent as much calcium as whites. The calcium needs of pregnant or breast-feeding women are higher than average, which creates a particular problem for minority women. Non-Hispanic, black women get only 467 milligrams of calcium per day compared to 642 mg for white women, according to government studies. Infant formulas should be considered possible toxicity potentiators because of increased manganese absorption by babies who drink infant formulas and who are not breastfed. Poor mothers tend not to breast-feed their babies. By 1986-87, 73 percent of infants born to mothers with more than 12 years of education were breastfed compared with 49 percent of infants born to mothers with 12 years of education, and 31 percent of mothers with less than 12 years of education. Furthermore, white infants are more than three times as likely to be breastfed as black infants. The effects of manganese toxicity associated with infant formula are thus greatest for the poor, for ethnic minorities, and for those with little education. Alcohol increases the uptake of toxic metals, at least in laboratory animals, and probably has a similar effect on humans. Personal Counsel . . . Childhood exposure to heavy metals is such an important issue. It is not the only cause of maladapted teen behavior. But no caring parent should turn a blind eye to this possibility in the event that a child engages in seemingly unexplainable violent behavior or outbursts, suffers from poor comprehension, reading skills, attention deficit disorder or is involved in criminal activities. Test for metal contamination if a child is demonstrating symptoms of neurological toxicity, if only to rule it out as a possible causative or exacerbating influence. Detoxification may be required to save the child from a life of crime and heartache if blood, urine, fecal or hair levels are above normal range for metal contamination. Many avenues of detoxification are available. Low-heat saunas are proven to aid in the elimination of heavy metals, pesticides, and other industrial toxins (see our advertiser, page 00). Use of PCA-Rx may be the most important nutritional avenue available to parents who seek to aid their children in detoxification. Clinical lab reports indicate its efficacy is comparable to medically prescribed chelation agents. PCA-Rx is an oral clathration formula that goes beyond typically employed metal chelation agents such ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), d-penicillamine, and dimercaptoproponol. Chelation therapy may be described as one dimensional. In contrast, oral clathration is a three-dimensional process. PCA-Rx is comprised of specifically sequenced glycoproteins and peptides form a lattice or inclusion complex and multiple receptor sites attach to a toxic molecule with irreversible bonds, literally wrapping around the toxic substance to prevent additional reactions with tissues or organs as it is eliminated from the body. Unlike the ionic bond utilized to transport metals from the body with chelation therapy, oral clathration therapy utilizes ionic, covalent and hydrogen bonds. Not one but three major types of bonds at multiple points are created. Also, DMSA and DMPA are drugs that can stress the body and pose risks for side effects. They are not suitable for long-term therapy. Heavy metal poisoning of children requires long-term therapy. Because of its lack of toxicity and side effects, PCA-Rx is a better choice. PCA-Rx is said to have a high bonding affinity for heavy metals. Most toxins or heavy metals that attach to cell receptors do so in a manner that is competitively reversible, so if molecules like those in PCA-Rx come along with greater affinity, the toxins can be dislodged from the receptors, which then once again can be receptive to neurotransmitters. Because of the formula's tremendous affinity for heavy metals, this is an improvement over chelation therapy, which has a much more difficult time removing heavy metals from cell receptors. The Doctors’ Prescription for Healthy Living We recommend PCA-Rx if your child is exhibiting signs of toxic metal overload. This article has listed but a small number of conditions associated with toxic overload. We will continue to investigate the link between toxic overload and diminished health in future reports. PCA-Rx is available at natural health centers, pharmacies and from health professionals. For individuals or organizations wishing to learn more about oral clathration, they should contact ASN™/MAXAM™ Nutraceutics™ toll-free at (800) 800-9119. Readers Tell us About PCA-Rx Dear Doctors’ Prescription for Healthy Living: Enclosed are copies of our son Sean’s urine reports along with what agents he received during the test periods. We observed the highest levels of toxic mineral output (aluminum, arsenic, nick, etc.) when he was given PCA-Rx and ionic minerals. Also note the output of nutritional minerals (calcium, etc.) declined with chelation by PCA-Rx versus DMSA. It's possible the output during PCA-Rx detox came from ionic mineral supplementation during that time. With DMSA detox, nutritional mineral output must have come from body stores because supplementation was suspended then. Sincerely, Lisa Weber Dear Doctors’ Prescription for Healthy Living: I wanted to tell you what a big help the PCA-X spray has been to me. I’ve been trying to gain ground for 3 1/2 years now and it has been a very slow and frustrating process . . . I’ve tried many avenues of healing including algaes, massage, supplements, juicing, stretching and breathing techniques, and the PCA-Rx has been the most effective result producing product...second only to prayer. Within the first week, I noticed a dramatic increase of mental clarity, emotional stability, balance, even my vision noticeably improved. I started to have a normal appetite (not excessive—more so a deliverance from anorexic tendencies), and my bowels started functioning normally (quite a surprise after nearly 15 years of abnormally loose bowels). My energy level is noticeably more consistent . . . my sleep patterns have been normalized. For the last couple of weeks, I go to sleep easily and have deep restful, refreshing nights. It feels like my brain is healing while I sleep. Also my resilience level is snapping back. My friends have been commenting how it seems there's a new person around the house. PCA-Rx has given me hope. Peace, Tamimah |