Neurotoxins from crops accumulate in meat and lead to insulin resistance

Thursday, September 05, 2013 by: Raw Michelle
Tags: meat consumption, chemicals, toxins

(NaturalNews) Physicians and researchers across the world are overwhelmed by the booming numbers of people being diagnosed with obesity and diabetes. The problem is not one that is faced solely in the United States, or even just the developed world. Some researchers are unconvinced that deficits in physical activity levels and poor diet quality are capable of making such a big impact, and have begun speculating that a specific part of the diet may be to blame.

They're not disputing the science behind what is already understood about the relationship between the consumption of refined sugars and fats and the resulting increase in weight gain and organ resistance to the body's insulin. These dietary factors clearly play a major role in the development of metabolic syndrome. However, researchers believe that the process may not be as simple as currently understood.

A food can be beneficial without necessarily being toxic

In addition to the fact that these foods aren't providing enough of the of some nutrients, like vitamins, and too many calories, they're also often fond of bringing in toxins they've been exposed to with them. Dr. Jerome Ruzzin, a researcher from the University of Bergen, of Norway, indicated that more than a few of the studies on the issue had pointed the finger at a specific class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Persistent organic pollutants are a product of the modern industrial age

These chemicals play a significant role in pesticides, but are also frequently found used in the production of the extremely toxic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics and solvents like hexane. Despite being organic, they are not biodegradable.

Exposure has been long associated with acute interference with the nervous system and disruptions of hormone and reproduction, including congenital defects, sterility, and reproductive cancers. The same chemical pesticides that are used to stave off insects and rot in the fields are also used in pharmaceutical compounds for treating conditions like lice or fungal infections.

What's a little POP on your BBQ

While the overabundance of refined calories, under-stocking of nutrients, and inclusion of non-food ingredients like dyes and preservatives are obviously detrimental to human health, it doesn't adequately account for the symptoms of insulin resistance in animals. Despite being from pesticides that are used on plant crops rather than given to animals, because the compounds don't biodegrade or pass from the animal, they accumulate in the tissues of the animals. When butchered for human consumption, these animal products bring with them an amplified dose of the harmful toxin. In much the same way that it takes 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef, that one pound of beef will also contain the equivalent of 16 pounds of grains that the animal ingested.

Because the chemicals are not water-soluble, they tend to build up in fat cells, making higher fat choices more toxic, instead of just more unhealthy. A growing number of studies are coming to the same conclusion: there exists a very strong correlation between POP levels and insulin resistance.

Sources for this article include:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/7/1638.full

http://www.news-medical.net

http://www.privatemdlabs.com

http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/ritter/en/ritteren.pdf

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle