Tag Archives: United States

Mercury poisoning and your foods

October 23, 2013

Mercury poisoning

Mercury poisoning

Dr. Dalal Akoury

Mercury poisoning: Is it so common? Yes, we are constantly exposed to mercury in whatever small amounts. This is because it is there in soft drinks and snacks that we often enjoy. So, let us know more about this element and save our health. Mercury is naturally found everywhere which includes air, water and soil. It is released into the atmosphere due to coal burning. This mercury then settles on land and water sources like rivers. Its toxic form called methyl mercury accumulates in fish and shell-fish. These are the main sources of mercury poisoning in human beings though it does not mean that all fishes have high mercury levels. Their mercury level depends on what they eat. What are the health effects of mercury poisoning? Exposure to mercury affects multiple organs including brain, heart, lungs, immune system and kidneys. Methyl mercury is rapidly absorbed from the intestine into the blood circulation. The health effects depend on whether it is inorganic mercury salts or organic methyl mercury. Methyl mercury mainly affects the nervous system and brain. Inorganic mercury affects not only brain but also causes pneumonia, kidney damage and bleeding disorder. Some of the health effects of Mercury poisoning include:

  • Ataxia: Inability to maintain body balance while standing or walking due to lack of coordination of muscles.
  • Loss of vision and hearing
  • Memory loss
  • Emotional dysfunction occurs due to involvement of frontal lobes of brain.
  • Dysarthria: difficulty in articulation.
  • Neuropathy: Loss of function of nerves like sensory, motor and autonomic functions. They develop tingling sensation and numbness of limbs. Sensory loss involving hands and feet may occur. Tremors or uncontrolled vibratory movements of limbs may occur.
  • Psychiatric disturbance resulting in abnormal behaviour
  • Kidney damage: Reduced kidney function occurs due to death of renal tubules which form urine.
  • Contact dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, stomatitis or inflammation in oral cavity. Rash may also appear over palms.
  • Respiratory difficulty occurs in acute mercury exposure.

What are the common sources of exposure to mercury poisoning?

mercury poisoning.

English: Element mercury (Hg), liquid form. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seafood: Consumption of a lot of seafood from contaminated water is the most important cause of mercury poisoning. High-fructose corn syrup: Detectable levels of mercury have been reported in high fructose corn syrup. In a scientific study published in the Journal of Environmental Health, they reported that high fructose corn syrup may contain about 0.570 micrograms of mercury. The WHO has recommended that consumption of less than 0.2 micrograms of mercury per kilogram of body weight is within safe limits. Since the average American consumption of soft drinks and other snacks containing high fructose corn syrup is very high, it poses a risk of mercury poisoning. Soft drinks and snacks: High fructose corn syrup is used as a sweetening agent in soft drinks and other food products. Some of these favourite snacks which contain high fructose corn syrup include oatmeal, barbecue sauce, chocolate syrup, cereal bars, jellies, dressings, yogurt and other milk drinks. This probably comes from caustic soda which is used for manufacturing high fructose corn syrup. Soft drinks in which high fructose corn syrup is added as a sweetening agent are also a potential source of mercury poisoning.

What to do at home to avoid or reduce mercury poisoning? You should be careful in your selection of food that is consumed at home. Sharks and tuna are especially rich in mercury and are better avoided. Pregnant and lactating mothers should avoid consumption of large fishes. Avoid taking processed foods containing high fructose corn syrup. Read labels carefully at the time of shopping. It adds value to life. Being extra careful will go a long way to reduce and prevent further accumulation of mercury in your body. This also helps in weight loss as high fructose corn syrup consumption is associated with obesity and its complications like atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke and obstructive sleep apnoea.

 

mercury poisoning.

Soft drinks on shelves in a Woolworths supermarket (Australia). Taken by myself. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How to get rid of mercury which is already there? In people with serious disease with symptoms described above, chelating agents are used. These are chemicals with bind with mercury or convert it into non-toxic substance which is then easily excreted. These chelating agents include dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and Penicillamine. DMSA is the agent of choice in people with mild or chronic poisoning. For people with acute poisoning, Dimercaprol is used. If there is recent ingestion, the decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract is done. For this, activated charcoal is consumed and is known to neutralize both organic and inorganic forms of mercury. The other agent of use here is Polyethylene glycol. This is a laxative with strong osmotic effects.

Mercury poisoning and you foods

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Women Addiction on the Rise

October 21, 2013
Women Addiction

Dr. Dalal Akoury

Women Addiction on the Rise

According to the report released by National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, addiction is on the rise among women abusers in the United States. The report shows that about six million women are dependent on alcohol and about 2.6 million women drug abuse issues. The report shows also shows that the number of women abusing drugs has increased sharply over the last decade. This is because women have always felt stigmatized in the society. Some of them keep their drinking or drug habits a secret; a factor that can hinder the true statistics of women who abuse alcohol and other related substances.
Why Are Women Engaging More Than Ever In Addiction
Violence
The rate of sexual abuse and physical abuse, among women, continue to rise. Rape cases continue to be reported in various parts of the country. A part from sex abuse, others continue to be physically abused by their male counterparts. As a result of the above factors, many women result into taking drugs and other substances to help them forget what they underwent or what they continue to face in the society. In an attempt to maintain family or relations Most of the women who continue to stay in violent domestic relationships or those who grew up in violent homes continue to turn into substance abuse to cope with their life’s dysfunctional circumstances. They do so in an attempt to

Women Addiction on the Rise how does it affect the family?

maintain family or relations.
Emotional abuse or marginalization
In most relationships there is unequal distribution of household responsibilities and lack of empathy. In this kind of relationships, women are the one who are affected most. They therefore feel trapped in this relationship, unable to quite because of the reason to maintain family or relationship. These women seek ways to cover the pain of feeling under-appreciated thus resulting into abuse of drugs. They turn to substance abuse to help them achieve their own happiness. They think that by taking drugs, it gives them a sense of comfort, power and relief from to give them a sense of power, comfort and relief from depression over their dwindled relationship. Also, other women continue to grow up feeling stigmatized because of their gender. They feel disrespected for being female and as a result they lead into drug abuse.
Isolation

Women Addiction on the Rise

Pregnant Woman-Alcohol-Cigarette addiction

Factors like divorce, separation or where husband die leaving a woman to take care of children are o the raise in our society. The most affected party is women who feel lonely or isolated. You find that it is mothers who are left with a burden of caring children and when they feel that they are stressed up with the situation, they seek solace in drugs and other substances. They use drugs to help them feel forget about their partners, feel energized, make connections and feel loved. For example, a mother might initially begin drinking alcohol with friends, only leading to her addicted at the end. What begins as a social activity can quickly result into a social problem among women who feel that their sense of companionship or belonging is connected to their drug use.

Women Addiction...

White House Visits Christiana Care’s Substance Abuse Intervention Program (Photo credit: Christiana Care)

Women Addiction on the Rise; What is the role of lifestyle changes

Change in lifestyle
With an effort to feel part of certain social class or lifestyle, many women try hard to feel part of the ‘wine society’. They feel that by taking wine, they are not actually abusing drugs. In modern society women don’t want to feel like they’ve had their freedom and fun taken out of their lives by having children. They admire their past lives without children and attempt to feel young ones more. Their initial purpose is not to take drugs but wine which they recognize as being accepted as woman’s drink. But eventually they result into full abuse of alcohol and other substances.

Women Addiction on the Rise

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GMO foods and Your Health. What is a GMO foods?

October 19, 2013
Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

Dr. Dalal Akoury

 Your Health and GMO foods.  What is a GMO foods?

Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we believe that people should be as healthy as they can possibly be! But sometimes we don’t know the right foods to eat, and which to avoid. Thats why we’re here to help you understand what GMOs are and why they should be avoided. Please feel free to email us if you have any other questions. Dr. Dalal Akoury

A GMO is the DNA of an organism that has been altered in an unnatural way. It is also known as “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”. These organisms are used to create a genetically modified plant, which is then used to grow food crops.

This is a controversial topic and it has many views on its advantages and disadvantages:

Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

Advantages:

–          It has been tested many times, there are numerous studies that have traced the effects of GMOs foods on animals. Most of these studies have shown that GMO Foods are safe and not harmful to consume.

–          It is easier for farming. GMO Foods allow plants/crops to be altered to grow in environments that usually would not be sustainable for normal plants to grow.

–          It can be grown in larger quantities, so this makes the price of food lower. If the farming doesn’t take that much work then that means there is more of it. This will lead to food that isn’t as expensive, which will make food more attainable and accessible for people of all income statuses.

Disadvantages:

–           It can affect human health. Most of the studies that have been performed are on animals, rather than humans. The danger is that we do not know the long term affects that it has on humans, since it has never been measured before. Many scientists are not sure if these GMO Foods will cause: exposure to allergens, antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption, reproductive disorders and accelerated aging.

–          The FDA treats GMO Foods the same way that they treat regularly grown crops or plants.  There is not much testing required for these crops or plants to sell. They also do not have to be educationally or nutritionally labeled, which affects the consumer because they are not completely sure what they are eating and how it will affect their body.

–          There is a controversial problem on ethics. The issue is that many people feel is unethical. They think it is against the law of nature and not in the normal cycle of life to do this. Some religions are also strongly against GMO Foods for this reason; they think it is against God’s doings.

–          Most countries do not think GMOs are safe. There are almost 50 countries that have major restrictions or have banned, producing and selling GMOs. The United States is one of the countries that still approve GMO Foods.

–          They can affect our environment! Almost all of the GMOs that are harvested are resistant to herbicides. The use of toxic herbicides has increased 15 times since GMO Foods were introduced. These plants and crops have also produced what people now call, “super weeds” and “super bugs”. These have to be killed with even more toxic poisons than normal.

 

Dr. Dalal Akoury and the team of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center  explain: Some people want to completely avoid GMO Foods, what is the best way to do it?

Buying organic food! There are absolutely no GMOs involved when buying organic food. There is an actual certification saying that they are not manipulated in any form.

AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center team and Dr. Dalal Akoury describe: The main foods that are most likely to contain 

Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

  • Corn: is known as a highly modified food. Almost half of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified. Some researchers believe that this corn can lead to several health problems, including weight gain and organ failure.
  • Soy: It is estimated that 89% of soy is genetically modified. This crop can be found in tofu, different vegetarian products, and soybean oil. It is also modified to resist herbicides.
  • Sugar Beets: Some studies have shown that the United States carries genetically-modified sugar beets. They also have resistance to herbicides.
  • Aspartame: is found in diet soda, chewing gum, yogurts, cereals and many artificial sweeteners. It is found that aspartame is made with genetically modified bacteria.
  • Papayas: Most of the genetically modified papayas are from Hawaii, and the United States and Canada consume most it.
  • Canola: is also one of the main modified foods that is consumed in the United States. Canola oil is found through a series of modifying chemical actions.
  • Cotton: It is estimated that 83% of cotton contains GMOs. And has been to led to believe that it has serious health risks.
  • Dairy Products: Most dairy products contain growth hormones because many cows are injected with hormones. Organic milk is the best way to go if you want to drink it.
  • Zucchini and Yellow Squash: Small amounts of these vegetables are led to believe that they are modified to resist viruses.

What are some other foods that contain GMO’s? Explains Dr. Dalal Akoury

Your Health and GMO. What is a GMO?

Your Health and GMO. What is a GMO?

  • Veggie sausages
  • Tortilla chips
  • Most processed foods
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Meatballs and burgers
  • Alfalfa
  • Cornbread mix and corn meal
  • Any type of protein drinks or powders that are soy-based
  • Cotton-seed oil

How do I avoid GMO’s completely? 

Dr. Dalal Akoury discusses the best solutions for health and Wellness? Select organic foods or start gardening for yourself! You can also try to modify your diet. For example, instead of using canola, soy or corn oil, you can switch them to use olive oil or safflower oil since these are less likely to contain genetic modifications. You should also try to cook healthy foods at home rather than going out to eat and having processed foods that are high in trans-fat.

Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

 

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AMERICAN ADDICTS: Your Health is Wealth with Dr. Akoury

October 17, 2013
American addicts

American addicts

Your Health is Wealth with Dr. Akoury: AMERICAN ADDICTS Special guest: Dr. Gregory Smith

From a recent CBS NEWS report:

American Addicts according to researchers

Researchers find that nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half receive at least two prescriptions,reports CBS Atlanta.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit medical and research center, report that antibiotics, antidepressants and painkiller opioids are the most common prescriptions given to Americans.

Twenty percent of U.S. patients were also found to be on five or more prescription medications.

If you aren’t shocked by these findings, you should be! American Addicts are growing in numbers and are destroying our families, our communities and our economy

Americans are becoming addicts at an alarming rate, and doctors are becoming legalized drug dealers, some unwittingly contributing to the epidemic of prescription drug addictions.

American Addiction

America Addict

Dr. Gregory Smith and Dr. Dalal Akoury are two doctors that are out to change the attitudes and assist Americans out of the slavery of drug addiction, and all types of addiction. (smoking, alcohol, sex, food, etc.) Addiction is not just a problem with lower economic citizens, it’s found it’s way into the lives of the professional sector and is growing rapidly. Many professionals with addictions are reluctant to seek help, embarrassed to admit there is a problem, and oftentimes lose everything, family, money, jobs, and most important, their health.

American Addicts Documentary is a Story

American Addicts is the story of how America has gone from the land of the free to the land of the addicted. America represents 5% of the world’s population but consumes 50% of the world’s prescription pills and over 80% of the world’s prescription narcotics; this is NOT a coincidence. This film reveals the relationships between the FDA, big Pharma, physicians and the media that are in place to ensure that medical problems are treated primarily with pills. The horrific consequences that result from this practice results in overuse, abuse and unnecessary deaths. American Addicts is the most important film of 2012 because it could literally save your or a loved one’s life.

What Prescription Drugs are YOU taking?
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Dalal Akoury, MD is fellowship trained and certified in anti-aging functional and regenerative medicine, as well as having more than twenty years of accumulatedexperience in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and a master’s degree in public health. She has also served fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology and has preformed research in leukemia and the effects of smoking.

American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)
Member of the Fellowship for Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine (FAAFM)
Member of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)
Member of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM)
Board Certified in Emergency Medicine (BCEM)
For updates and future show scheduling visit the website at http://awaremednetwork.com.

Dalal Akoury, MD is available for local, national and international speaking or training events.

Contact: ImaginePublicity Tel: 843-808-0859 Email: contact@imaginepublicity.com

Your Health is Wealth with Dr. Akoury: AMERICAN ADDICTS with Dr. Gregory Smith

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