What if the “safe”
products you use every day are actually making you sicker? If you have an
autoimmune condition, get migraines, or have breast abnormalities, that might
just be the case.
Keep Away From GRAS:
Generally Regarded As Safe
is a compilation of empirical and anecdotal evidence that leads to one
inevitable conclusion: Many of the products we encounter and consume on a daily
basis, substances considered “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), may have
serious consequences for our health and well-being.
As an internal
medicine physician, author Marcela Magda Popa, MD, has seen the effect that
repeated, low-dose exposure to certain common chemicals and environmental
factors has had on her health and on some of her patients, who reported similar
complaints. As a patient with autoimmune
arthritis – that forced her into early retirement – as well as breast
abnormalities and migraine headaches, she sought to find answers as to why she
was so sick. She discovered there were numerous environmental contributors to
her disorders and now is on the road to recovery.
I am so proud to be
promoting her book for Media Connect.
Here is an interesting Q and A with the author:
1. Dr. Popa, what inspired you to write Keep Away from GRAS?
It really
has to do with my personal medical journey. As a patient suffering with
autoimmune arthritis, breast abnormalities and migraine headaches, I was able
to analyze some associations, research and learn more in depth information
about substances deemed safe (GRAS), after I noticed that certain chemicals I
was exposed to multiple times a day through numerous products I routinely used,
were aggravating my symptoms. Avoiding them brought some steady improvements,
while inadvertent or overlooked re-exposure triggered worsening numerous times.
Through my experience I figured out these GRAS substances are not necessarily
safe, inert, or inactive and our chronic but constant exposure, even at low
doses, can have an as yet unidentified or not fully accepted impact on our
health. These hypotheses would have not been possible if I didn’t find numerous
medical articles with NIH published and accepted studies, that connect my
observations with mostly ignored, but not at all inoffensive substances.
2. As
an internist for 16 years, did you see in patients signs of what happened to
you?
As a matter
of fact, I did. Learning about all these chemicals, I recalled similar unusual
symptoms that some patients had reported, for which I couldn't find a
reasonable explanation at that time. Some complained of generalized achiness
with medications not known to cause it, like Prilosec or hydroxyzine.
Ironically, prescription anti-inflammatory medicines taken for localized pain
(painful back) produced generalized body aches and something similar was
reported with multiple classes of antibiotics. Although I thought these may
have had to do with the other ingredients in the pills' composition, at that
time I couldn't point out which ones exactly were to be blamed. As for the
migraines, I became aware about the estrogen mimicking chemicals worsening them
after I stopped working, but I can tell you some friends and acquaintances who
minimized the use of such substances also noticed benefits.
3. Why
did you stop practicing medicine?
My
autoimmune arthritic disorder has been quite atypical, never responded properly
to any treatments or I developed serious side-effects that required to
discontinue the medications. The disease was very active, every day became a
struggle and I was overwhelmed physically and emotionally. I was strongly
recommended to try rituximab, and not knowing how I would react and how much it
would affect my capacity to fight infections, I decided to stop seeing patients
for a while, in order to protect myself from exposure to infections, which was
unavoidable when I worked in a busy private office combined with urgent care.
The idea was that if rituximab improved my arthritis, I would return to work.
The rheumatologists were puzzled because this medication made my joint symptoms
much, much worse instead; eventually, this fact provided a key element for my
later observations. After rituximab, my next treatment didn't work well either,
and moreover made me terribly prone to infections.
4. How
did you come to discover which cosmetics, foods, medications, and household
items were doing harm to you and others?
It all
started when I noticed that my elbows were getting swollen and painful after
applying a moisturizer cream on them. Many times I dismissed the idea, but the
pattern was repetitive. Moreover, the same cream similarly affected, although
less pronounced, my mom and my mother in law. Later on, I came to realize that
my other joints were also influenced, and not only by moisturizers, but also by
prescription creams occasionally applied in their vicinity. Investigating their
ingredients, I noticed they contained polyethylene glycols or other ethylene
oxide derivatives. I learned that PEGs were included in the majority of the
medications and cosmetics. Polysorbates are another class of related
ingredients derived from ethylene oxide, and like PEGs, were incorporated in numerous
products that were worsening my joints, while those without them were not.
Additionally, propylene glycol and other propylene oxide derivatives also
seemed bothersome, although less dramatic.
5. What
measures have you taken to stop the damage to your body and to begin your
recovery from various ailments?
Once I
reached a suspicion about what possibly made my joints worse, I started an
elimination process of the products containing ethylene oxide and propylene
oxide derived components. I also understood these were present, often in a
combination in cosmetics, cleaning products and detergents, foods and
medications, therefore the cleansing process was a lot more extensive than I
originally anticipated, but well worth it because I noticed steady improvements.
Investigating the additional ingredients, I learned about the numerous
estrogen-mimicking substances we're exposed to. Eliminating those from use made
quickly a great difference on my migraines, and in the long run for my breast
issues. These estrogen-like chemicals, are not only present in cosmetics,
foods, and medications, but in numerous household items, therefore I replaced
all of them.
6. What
are the names of some of these ethylene and propylene oxide derivatives?
For
ethylene oxide (EO), which remains as a contaminant in these derivatives, some
commonly appearing names are:
·
polyethylene glycols (PEGs)— listed as such, followed by a number (PEG-6
avocado oil) or with names ending in "eth" (cetareth, steareth, etc)
·
polysorbates—20, 60, 80 and so on
·
nonylphenol ethoxylates included in vaccines and nonoxynol-9 used as
spermicide
·
octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100)—also used in vaccines
·
phenoxyethanol
·
ethanolamines (mono-, di-, and triethanolamine)
Propylene
glycol is a propylene oxide derivative, and so are the semisynthetic celluloses
such as hydroxypropyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. This last
component is what the so-called "vegetable capsules" shells are made
of—in reality another form of plastic. Perhaps some polypropylene microplastic
particles identified in humans very recently, may originate from these
capsules, although presently the plastic bottle tops are blamed.
Another component,
poloxamer, contains both polyethylene glycol and polypropylene oxide.
7.
What are the consequences of toxic exposure to environmental dangers?
Exposure to ethylene oxide—classified by the National Toxicology Program as a human carcinogen, is linked with leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Ethylene oxide also has human reproductive toxicity, neurological dysfunction (peripheral nerves and brain); it remains as a contaminant in the final polymerized products, as does 1,4 dioxane—a synthesis byproduct classified as a probable carcinogen. Throughout our lives, we get exposed to these daily. The polymers, some with huge molecules, acquire new properties and have consequences of their own. I usually see a concerned look when I mention the link with cancer, but developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurological impairments, behavioral changes, kidney and liver toxicity, are alarming as well. They quietly creep up on us, nobody can point out what triggered a certain disease, and there may not be an adequate treatment.
Exposure to ethylene oxide—classified by the National Toxicology Program as a human carcinogen, is linked with leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Ethylene oxide also has human reproductive toxicity, neurological dysfunction (peripheral nerves and brain); it remains as a contaminant in the final polymerized products, as does 1,4 dioxane—a synthesis byproduct classified as a probable carcinogen. Throughout our lives, we get exposed to these daily. The polymers, some with huge molecules, acquire new properties and have consequences of their own. I usually see a concerned look when I mention the link with cancer, but developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurological impairments, behavioral changes, kidney and liver toxicity, are alarming as well. They quietly creep up on us, nobody can point out what triggered a certain disease, and there may not be an adequate treatment.
8. In the medical literature research you
did, what specific effects of these inactive ingredients did you come across?
The big
PEGs molecules cannot be eliminated by the kidney, remining stuck inside certain
types of cells, forming blisters that can distort them. PEGs trigger antibody
formation against themselves—noted during treatments with PEGylated drugs, but
more amazing, anti-PEG antibodies were demonstrated in 25% of healthy blood
donors, compared to 0.2% two decades ago. PEGs metabolism may be linked to the
development of kidney stones. Polysorbates
can integrate within the cellular membranes and change their properties and
functions. In humans, they can cause allergic reactions after Flu or HPV vaccinations;
decreased blood pressure and heart rate or neuropathies with some intravenous
medications containing them; development of calcium oxalate kidney stones; and
possibly premature menopause reported after HPV vaccine. Small amounts of
polysorbate 80 can aggravate Crohn's disease and along with carboxymethyl
cellulose, were both recently linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome—all
these by changing the gut flora.
9. Do the government regulating bodies ban
or restrict usage of the selected chemicals that you believe are harming us?
There are
fewer regulations that can be reinforced by law and more recommendations, which
cannot. The federal organizations recommendations usually state "not to
exceed limits," but when tested, many products exceed them. Oddly enough,
the levels for the same substance are different among the regulating bodies.
Manufacturers likely take into account the more favorable conclusions, and
because the synthetic ingredients are much cheaper, there's more profit. One
more thing, the studies that document the safety for many of these chemicals,
are usually conducted using ridiculously high doses and look for an acute
sickness. However, in order to trigger certain diseases, these repetitive doses
need not be high—and this is what I'm trying to raise awareness about. A bee
sting injecting 0.018 mg of venom—the amount of a grain of sand—can trigger a
serious allergic reaction in somebody who's sensitive. Just like this, tiny but
repetitive daily doses along the years, may account for many conditions.
Allergy appears rapidly, but autoimmune, neurological, behavioral, or
reproductive disorders take longer to come to the surface.
10. Are the same chemicals used everywhere
in the world?
Many of them are banned in Canada, European Union, Japan, or
Australia. Others have more strict limits that are reinforced by law. I'll give
some examples. Nonylphenol ethoxylates are banned in the European Union for
over 10 years, being linked to health effects in pregnant women and newborns,
possibly to breast cancer, and promoting obesity. In the US, they're still used
and so is another derivative of nonylphenol, added as antioxidant to vinyl,
polystyrene, and sometimes in the production of polyethylene. Polyethylene is
used to manufacture pluming pipes and plastic products considered safer, with
recycling codes 2 and 4. Another example is diethanolamine, banned in the EU
because of contamination with the carcinogenic nitrosamines. It's still used in
the US in some shampoos and hair conditioners. In the wine production EU
doesn't allow any yeast defoamers, including ethoxylated compounds. Pertaining
other classes.
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