Food, Inc.(redible)

Ax and I watched the documentary Food, inc. on PBS last week.  Heather's post reminded me that I've been wanting to blog about it. And she reminded me that the film is still available for online viewing until midnight tonight.  I'm sort of out of the loop when it comes to media and movies and academy award nominations, etc.  So I didn't really know much of anything about the film until another friend posted about PBS showing it on facebook last week. 

After watching the film, I posted my reaction on facebook:  "Wow. Wow. Wow. Scary indeed. It has prompted us to take our health-consciousness to a whole new level. Wow."  And a little while later, I elaborated more on my feelings, "Let's just say there are certain things I will NEVER purchase ever again, if I can help it. The film made me want to vomit, scream, cry (from sadness AND joy), and cheer. So many emotions packed into one 120 minute stretch."

So, while I can say without hesitation that I believe Food, Inc. is a film everyone should watch, I can also say without hesitation that it's not a fun or easy film to watch.  It's painful to watch, for many reasons,  and incredible in every aspect of the word...  astonishing, unbelievable, disgusting, and heart-warming too.  As we watched, I felt, with deep intensity, both the spirit of evil prompting much of what happens to bring food to our supermarkets and the beautiful, inspiring, wonderful spirit of love that motivates farmers like Joel Huesby.  I strongly believe that God aches to see how modern industrialized agriculture is depleting the earth, disrespecting His creations, and making all of us weaker and weaker over time.  And I strongly believe that God is eager to help us repent and choose a better way for ourselves, our children, and the rest of our posterity.  The film motivated Ax and me to make some major changes that will improve our lives, and we feel confident that God is pleased with those changes and will help us find the best, most affordable ways to move forward with those plans.

Which brings me to something I wanted to address from the film.  I was frustrated with the way the film represented the financial costs of healthy eating.  There is a portion of the film where they follow around a low-income family of four as they order their dinner from a fast food chain dollar menu ($11.48 for five hamburgers, two chicken sandwiches, and three soft drinks to feed a family of four), and then they go to a grocery store and lament how expensive the pears and broccoli are.  The sentiment is... if fruits and vegetables weren't so expensive, we'd eat healthier... what a shame that we can only afford fast food!  Then it finishes with the family discussing the outrageously expensive prescription medications the father has to take for his health problems... diabetes, etc.  And the mother sort of laughs and says something like, "I guess you either pay on the front end for healthy food, or you pay on the back end for medical bills."

I've thought a lot about this part of the film since last week.  I'm so frustrated by it.  I think the filmmakers wanted us to see the way low-income families struggle to make healthy food choices, but I think they also misrepresent some things.  It's so sad that there is such a disconnect when it comes to food prices... People grow up buying food like this family does and never learn that there is a much easier, cheaper, better way to feed themselves.  Healthy isn't more expensive!  It's usually cheaper!  Personally, I can't afford junk food!  (Though we do eat it on occasion.)

Thoughts rolling around my head in reaction to this part of the film:

• $11.48 is NOT a cheap dinner for a family of four.  Even if you just brought your own reusable water bottles instead of ordering sodas, you'd save yourself enough money to go buy some of those "expensive" pears or broccoli to eat with your dollar menu burgers.  They could EACH have an entire 16 oz package of strawberries this time of year (88 cents last week at Fry's) for less than what they spent on their sodas! 
• The way to buy groceries is NOT to buy the broccoli (or anything else) when it's "expensive."  When you're struggling to make ends meet, you have to buy things when they're on sale.  Only buy produce in season when it's cheapest (or join a co-op like Bountiful Baskets where you can get enough produce to feed your family for two weeks for just over $1 a day).  And stock up on staple items when they're on sale.  Don't pay regular price for anything (unless you have to).
• The mother in the film says, "We don't have time to cook."  I understand that people are busy, especially hard-working families like theirs.  But I think people also over-estimate the amount of time (and money) it takes to make an inexpensive, fairly healthy meal.  For example... taco salad is a piece of cake.  You could even cook a bunch of taco meat on the weekend and freeze it to use a bit at a time during the week.  All you'd have to do on the weeknight is warm up the meat in the microwave, tear up some lettuce, cut up whatever veggies you want on top, and throw some pre-grated cheese on there.  Really fast and easy and probably a fraction of the cost of their fast food dollar menu meal if the meat and veggies were purchased on sale.  I'd say a little effort is beyond worth it to cut costs and improve health.  
• Sometimes even the organic stuff is a better deal.  If you watch carefully, you can eat organic for less than what you'd spend to eat non-organic.  Watch for sales and specials.  And even if you have to pay a bit more for the organic grass-fed beef, it's worth every extra penny... which really isn't "more" than what you'd spend eating fast food hamburgers anyway if you look at how many people can be fed with just one pound of $4.99/lb grass-fed beef.  When we use one pound of beef to make a meal, it usually translates into dinner (more than one helping each) for two adults and two small children and lunch for two adults the next day.  That's more than six servings.  That $4.99 went a long way.  And the more we "eat meat sparingly," the less we'll have to spend. Why is grass-fed beef worth the price tag?  Watch the film. :-) But, in short... it's safer for human consumption, better for the cows' stomachs, better for the land, and nutritionally superior in so many ways. 

Alright... enough rambling.  Here's a trailer for the film:

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record

I'm amazed that magnesium is the real answer to so many problems, but even many scientists and researchers seem unaware of its importance.  This Reuters article talks about the rise in kidney stones among children in South Carolina and points to excessive antibiotic use as a possible cause.  Antibiotics deplete magnesium!  And the "stone belt" (from Virginia down to Florida and over to Texas) mentioned in the article is an area of the country with primarily very soft water--low mineral content.  Hard water and healthy gut bacteria help raise our bodies' magnesium levels.  They don't mention it in the article, but low magnesium can lead to kidney stones. Magnesium is the missing puzzle piece no one (well, almost no one) is talking about.

Get yer magnesium, my friends!

More Magnesium Mumblings

Some stuff that has been rolling around in my brain thanks to my recent magnesium obsession...

Prenatal Vitamins and Leg Cramps

So... this morning, out of curiosity, I looked at the bottle of prenatal vitamins I took on occasion while pregnant. Lots of folic acid and calcium, for sure. Magnesium... nope. What the?!

Then I remembered something about my sister.  A year or two ago, she told me that she always got bad leg cramps with her pregnancies (I did too). Then she switched to the prenatal vitamins from NuSkin where her husband works, and her leg cramps disappeared. She thought maybe the NuSkin vitamins just absorbed into her body better, and she may be right. After I saw that my bottle of vitamins didn't contain magnesium this morning, I got wondering about NuSkin's prenatals.  So I googled it. And... Yepperdoodle. 39% of the DV of magnesium.  More magnesium, fewer leg cramps.  Just like you'd expect.

Hard Water for Contractions?

My sister also used to get a lot of contractions in the last trimester of her pregnancies (I do too), but she noticed (or her doctor suggested) that if she drank a bunch of water, they would go away. It may have been partly dehydration, but I can't help wondering whether drinking a large amount of the hard, mineral-rich Utah mountain water gave her magnesium stores a boost and helped relax her uterus?  Maybe. Who knows for sure, but I thought it was an interesting connection. 

Hard Water for Cramps and Fetal Hiccups?

Not long before I got married, I was visiting my future-in-laws with my future husband.  While there, my period arrived, and I was hit with some horrendous menstrual cramps.  I literally passed-out in their basement bathroom from the pain, and then spent the next several hours moaning, embarassingly in the arms of my fiance while his mother and sister offered their sweet sympathy.  I remember my mother-in-law saying that she always had excruciating cramps until after her first pregnancy.  So I've been wondering over the past week whether low magnesium was to blame for both of us.

Then a friend recently mentioned that her doula trainer, a midwife, had taught her having that a fetus who hiccups a lot can be a sign of magnesium deficiency.  I told my husband about that, and he remembered his mother talking about how her first baby hiccuped all the time while in utero.  Then the cogs and wheels started going in my brain.

Something changed between her first pregnancy and the rest. She only remembers the first baby hiccuping, and she no longer had bad cramps afterward.  Interestingly enough, she had been living in California for a while before getting married and pregnant.  At some point after her baby was born, the family moved to Utah.  That baby was the only one born in California.

So I found a map showing the relative hardness of the drinking water in the U.S.  on a water science website. I'll throw in a screen shot of it here:  

They were measuring calcium in the water, but I'd venture a guess that water high in calcium would also be high in magnesium.  So if you look at the map, most of California has relatively soft water while Utah's water is completely hard.  I can't guarantee that water hardness was what changed to get rid of my mother-in-law's cramps and baby hiccups, but it's an interesting possibility.

*Edited to add*:  My mother-in-law also grew up in New Zealand which has primarily soft water.  She moved to Porterville, California (a soft water area) as an adult just a few years before marrying.  She was probably already low on magnesium when she arrived in the U.S.  (Fortunately, New Zealand is also surrounded by ocean water, so God provided a simple way for those soft water islanders to get their mg.)

Fluoride + Soft water + Lousy diet = Scoliosis?

The other day I had an epiphany... maybe magnesium will help my scoliosis pain?  So that led me on a google search that turned up some really promising stuff.  There definitely seems to be some connection between scoliosis and low magnesium.  Also, most women who have osteoporosis also have scoliosis and seem to exhibit a cluster of similar symptoms related with magnesium deficiency.  I was thrilled to make this discovery. So I am full of hope that magnesium will tremendously reduce or eliminate my back pain and save me from a future of other possible health problems.  Yay.

But that also led me on a search for other answers.  I was diagnosed with scoliosis around age 14.  At the time, I was living in Massachusetts, in area with fluoridated water.  So yesterday I turned to Google to see if it might be related.  And it turns out that when fluoride meets magnesium in the bloodstream, they bond into magnesium fluoride.  Magnesium fluoride is insoluble, so it "cannot be assimilated by the pituitary, with the consequent failure of the pituitary to function properly that leads to the symptoms of magnesium deficiency" (source). Yikes.

I can also tell you that I had a fairly lousy diet as a teenager.  Most days I skipped multiple meals out of sheer busy-ness or laziness.  Many days all I had for lunch was french fries and a carbonated beverage.  (Oh the things I wish I could go do-over!)  Dinner was the only somewhat nutritious meal I had every day, but we still ate a lot of refined carbs. So... what little magnesium I may have been getting in my diet was probably getting trapped by the fluoride in our water.  Dang.

It gets worse.

If you look on the map, you'll see that MA is an area with very soft water relative to hard water areas. That's three strikes against me: fluoride, poor diet, and soft water.  Ouch.

But I also carried all my heavy text books around in my monstrous backpack, always on my right shoulder... every school day.  I never used my locker in middle school or high school. Strike four!

It's really no surprise that I was diagnosed with scoliosis two years after I moved to MA.  And it's really no surprise that two years later I started having absolutely horrendous menstrual cramps.  Can we say magnesium deficiency?! 

All of this makes me feel like a detective.  It's kind of fun finding possible answers to all these questions after all these years.

*****

The more I learn, the more amazed I am how much impact little things can have.  It's makes me both afraid and hopeful.  Afraid of what little things are impacting my own children right now that will come back to bite them down the road.  But hopeful because I can see that there is almost always a simple solution to our health problems if we can just find all the puzzle pieces and fit them together. 

How's the water where you live? Hard or soft? Is it fluoridated? Is there magnesium in your prenatal vitamins?  I'm totally curious.

Magnesium Manifesto

"There is no life without magnesium." -Mark A. Sircus

I feel so overwhelmed. There is simply so much to say, and I have no idea how to say it all coherently because my mind has been spinning with all this new, amazing information for almost a week. I'll do my best. (And I'll pepper as many of my research sources as I can fit in throughout the post, so I'd recommend clicking around and checking them out.)

Magnesium is incredibly important.  (Especially for pregnant women, but I'll get to that later.) Magnesium is probably most well-known for its partnership with calcium in muscle function--calcium contracts muscles, magnesium relaxes them.  But magnesium is actually involved in far more than that.  From what I gather, every time a nerve cell fires, magnesium is required to control the entry of calcium into the body's cells.

Dr. Christianne Northrup sums it up nicely when she says, "Magnesium is essential for the functioning of more than 300 different enzymes in the body, particularly those that produce, transport, store, and utilize energy. . . . In short, living without adequate levels of magnesium is like trying to operate a machine with the power off" (source).  And Mark A. Sircus, a magnesium proponent, describes magnesium as "the source of life" and "the lamp of life" because of its essential role in plant photosynthesis and human bodily functions (source).

As I've immersed myself in studying this amazing mineral over the past week, I have come more and more to see it with deep awe and reverence. Magnesium is at the core of all life and life-giving.  I'm in love with magnesium.

And, unfortunately, most of us are low on magnesium. Magnesium and calcium must be maintained in their proper balance in order to function correctly, but the average modern American consumes far more calcium than necessary and not nearly enough magnesium. That excess calcium can disrupt many important functions. Instead we should take in more magnesium than calcium or at least a 1:1 ratio.

There are myriad ways that magnesium deficiency can manifest itself in your body. Some of those are:

• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Asthma
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headaches and migraines
• Abnormal bowel function, constipation, etc.
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure 
• Muscle pain, cramps, and spasms
• Depression
• Hypoglycemia
• Kidney disease and kidney stones

And low magnesium can lead to several problems of particular interest to women, both pregnant and not pregnant:

• Recurrent miscarriages and premature labor
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Menstrual cramping and bloating
• Infertility caused by spasms in fallopian tubes
• Pregnancy leg cramps
• Pre-ecplampsia
(Source)  

So how do we ensure that we get enough magnesium?

Our ancient ancestors would have obtained more than enough magnesium through plants, nuts, and seeds from the earth's rich non-depleted soil and through soaking in the pristine ocean's limitless supply of magnesium chloride. With soils depleted of nutrients and oceans often too far away and/or full of toxins and pollutants, we aren't quite so lucky. But we can do our best with what we've got.

What are the best food sources of magnesium?

You pretty much can't go wrong with dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, salmon, and whole grains.  Some of the best among those sources, according to The World's Healthiest Foods:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Spinach 
• Swiss chard
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds

Magnesium is also found in hard water.  One site I visited explained:

In a survey of 25 cities in the US, the lowest death rates from heart disease were found in areas where the drinking water supplied above average levels of magnesium. Part of Texas has the highest levels of magnesium in drinking water, and also the lowest cardiovascular mortality rates in the US Australia has some of the lowest drinking water magnesium levels, and also the highest cardiovascular death rate in the world.

How can we improve the body's ability to absorb dietary magnesium?

Avoiding or limiting certain magnesium-depleting foods and beverages will protect your body's magnesium stores, including:

• Soft drinks
• Sugar and refined carbs
• Excess unhealthy fats
• Alcohol 
• Caffeine
• Excess animal protein
• Certain medications, such as diuretics and steroids/corticoids

Increasing consumption of probiotics and prebiotics has also been shown to increase the absorption of essential minerals, in part because of their ability to break down the mineral-binding phytic acid in foods, releasing those formerly bound minerals for absorption. (See here)

Getting vitamin d through regular sunlight exposure will also improve your body's ability to retain magnesium and calcium.  Sunlight seems to do this more efficiently than vitamin d supplements. (See here) 

How else can we get magnesium?

Ocean water is a limitless source of magnesium chloride.  And, based on my internet research, magnesium is better absorbed through the skin than the gut.  If you live near a beach with clean water, regular soaks should benefit your magnesium levels.  For the rest of us, taking baths with epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or magnesium chloride flakes will raise levels of magnesium in the body.

Magnesium is also available, of course, in oral supplements, but these can cause diarrhea in some people.

Pregnant Women, Listen up!

Clearly magnesium is essential for all of us, but I'm becoming convinced that maintaining adequate magnesium levels could reduce or eliminate a large portion of the pregnancy complications women encounter.  And, as I listed earlier, magnesium can also remedy many of the other complaints associated with our womanly cycles.

Dr. Christianne Northrup shared a story that illustrates what I'm talking about:

I was first introduced to magnesium during my obstetrical training, where I saw how effective magnesium sulfate was in preventing seizures and restoring normal blood pressure in pregnant women suffering from toxemia. Magnesium is also frequently given to women having preterm labor to stop contractions. It works! 

A good friend of mine, Alexa, had her third baby in 1994. About seven weeks before the baby was due, she started to have contractions that would only stop when she lay down. Because she was 2.5 centimeters dilated and almost fully effaced (conditions often present when a woman goes into labor with a full-term third child), she was put on bed rest. Luckily this helped, and she was able to avoid a lengthy stay at the hospital. After having her baby, Alexa was extremely run down, had frequent migraines, and severe muscle cramps. She decided to go to a Naturopath for help. He immediately diagnosed severe magnesium deficiency, and she was given weekly magnesium IVs to correct the imbalance. . . .
 
Alexa's OB/GYN was insistent that she get 1500 mgs of calcium every day to protect her baby's and her bones. He told her to take a couple of Tums, an antacid, any day she didn't get enough calcium from the food she ate. Tums contains calcium, and it was the calcium "supplement" he recommended to all his patients. (This was his strategy for keeping her calories from dairy fat down, too.) He never recommended that she increase her magnesium, just her calcium. It's not surprising that she had a magnesium deficiency after following his advice during three pregnancies.  (Source)

This story is frustrating for so many reasons.  But I want to focus on what Dr. Northrup says in the first paragraph.  Doctors know that magnesium helps women with toxemia and preterm labor.  So my question is... if they know it, why do they wait until a woman comes to the E.R. to pump her full of magnesium?  Why are they putting women on bed rest when they have preterm labor instead of teaching them about optimizing their magnesium levels?  Why aren't women with recurrent miscarriages or infertility or PMS or excruciating menstrual cramps being tested for low magnesium?!

Why aren't we all being told how crucial it is to keep our magnesium levels optimal?


I couldn't know this information and not share it.  So here I am.

Magnesium is crucial. 

Please spread the word.

Ask Busca: Iron and Vitamin D suppplementation for infants?

Ali, a nursing student, asked:

[The teacher of my nutrition class said] that babies who are breast fed will likely need an iron and vitamin d supplement. This makes absolutely no sense to me, because breast is supposed to be best, so why would anything need to be supplemented. The teacher said because the baby stops living off of it mothers iron stores at four months, and so that is why, but do they not get enough from the breast milk. I would just think that if the mother was eating healthy that the baby would not need to be supplemented on anything.

Busca's (excessive) babble:

Thanks for your question, Ali. So sorry it has taken me nearly 6 months to finally give you a response! I'm not a doctor, nurse, dietician, or nutrition expert, but I do love to dig around and see what I can find to help my readers out. So here's what I dug up in regard to iron and vitamin D supplementation...

Iron Supplementation

I knew kellymom.com would probably have something to say about it. And, indeed, she does. In fact, she has so much great info over there, that I'm just going to direct you to her site where you will find just about everything you could possibly want to know on the subject of iron supplementation. Here's a brief excerpt:

Healthy, full-term infants who are breastfed exclusively for periods of 6-9 months have been shown to maintain normal hemoglobin values and normal iron stores. In one of these studies, done by Pisacane in 1995, the researchers concluded that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 7 months (and were not give iron supplements or iron-fortified cereals) had significantly higher hemoglobin levels at one year than breastfed babies who received solid foods earlier than seven months. The researchers found no cases of anemia within the first year in babies breastfed exclusively for seven months and concluded that breastfeeding exclusively for seven months reduces the risk of anemia.

The original recommendations for iron-fortified foods were based on a formula-fed baby's need for them and the fact that breastmilk contains less iron than formula (doctors didn't know then that the iron in breastmilk is absorbed much better). Also, a few babies do have lower iron stores and will need extra iron at some point. . . .

La Leche League recommends that babies be offered foods that are naturally rich in iron, rather than iron-fortified foods. . . .

Note: Additional iron intake by the mother will not increase iron levels in breastmilk, even if the mother is anemic. Iron supplements taken by mom may produce constipation in baby. Anemia in the nursing mother has been associated with poor milk supply, however.

Learning about baby-led weaning really changed the way I saw iron supplementation. My first two daughters had iron-fortified rice cereal before 6 months of age, but my son was exclusively breastfed without any supplementation for 6 months. Afterward, he simply ate whatever offered foods he managed to get into his mouth. But I never worried about his iron levels.

Vitamin D Supplementation

As for Vitamin D, there was a recent news article on the subject that caught my eye and prompted me to finally tackle your question. USA Today reported on a couple of studies published in the journal Pediatrics related to infants and vitamin D. Nicolas Stettler, a pediatrician interviewed in the article, acknowledges, "Because humans originated in equatorial areas with year-round sunshine, babies in the distant past wouldn't have needed to get vitamin D from breast milk," but, according to the second study from Pediatrics, 58% of infants today have deficient vitamin D blood levels. It also reported that "Getting lots of sunlight helped raise vitamin D levels in moms, but not in their newborns." (It was unclear to me whether they meant that the mother and baby were both exposed to sunlight or whether they meant that sunlight didn't improve the vitamin d levels of breast milk.)

I have to wonder when I hear that breast milk is "low in Vitamin D," whether that really just means that mothers themselves have been low in Vitamin D for decades leading researchers to conclude that breast milk is always low. I've read elsewhere that Vitamin D supplementation will increase the Vitamin D content of breastmilk, so I think that's worth exploring. Maybe breast milk isn't inherently low after all?

I am partial to Vitamin D expert, Michael F. Holick, who has been researching Vitamin D for more than three decades. The home page of his website has some great info on Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is not a vitamin but a hormone. It is unique in that it is made in the skin as a result of exposure to sunlight. Photosynthesis of vitamin D has been occurring on earth for more than 750 million years. Some of the earliest life forms that were exposed to sunlight for their energy requirement were also photosynthesizing vitamin D. Both children and adults have in the past depended on adequate sun exposure to satisfy their vitamin D requirement. It is well documented that at the turn of the last century upwards of 80% of children in the industrialized, polluted cities of northern Europe and northeastern United States suffered from the devastating consequences of vitamin D deficiency rickets. The skin has a large capacity to make vitamin D. Exposure of a person in a bathing suit to a minimal erythemal dose of sunlight, which is typically no more than 15-20 minutes on Cape Cod in June or July at noon time, is the equivalent to taking 20,000 IU of vitamin D orally. It is now well documented that in the absence of any sun exposure 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day is necessary to maintain healthy levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the circulation. An analysis of the NHANES III data has demonstrated that neither children nor adults are receiving an adequate amount of vitamin D from their diet or from supplements.

Holick is a strong proponent of sensible sun exposure. And so am I. I feel fortunate that I live in the Valley of the Sun where my children and I can go outdoors at any time of year most days and receive more than enough Vitamin D in ten minutes to keep our levels adequate. Even so, during times of the year when the weather keeps us indoors more often, I have mixed safe amounts of liquid vitamin D into my kids' yogurt or juice to keep their immune systems functioning and prevent illness.

(Getting a few minutes of backyard Vitamin D at lunchtime in February)

The American Academy of Pediatrics is opposed to exposing infants to direct sunlight. Personally, I think their recommendation is counter-intuitive. Human beings have been living with the sun for thousands of years (and without chemical sunscreens). We even took my newborn son outside for a few minutes every day (at my midwives' recommendation) because of his slight jaundice. Even after his slight yellow tinge had disappeared, I still took him with me outside in the early April morning sunshine while I watered my vegetable garden. He absolutely loved it. As soon as the sun's warm rays would fall on his face, his facial muscles would relax and take on a look of total peace and serenity. He always turned to face the sun no matter where I put him. And my instincts told me it was good for him. My gut tells me newborns need a few minutes of sunlight every day, just like the rest of us.I love the sun. I really think that human beings need regular sunlight exposure to survive. I don't generally use much sunblock on myself or my children unless we are in the sun for an extended period of time. I remember asking our pediatrician about the safety of sunscreens for infants when my first daughter was about 6 months old. He encouraged us to use hats, clothing, and shade rather than chemical suscreens. At the time, I was slow to take his advice and continued to use sunscreen. As I learned more about Vitamin D and safe sun exposure, my sunscreen use has decreased dramatically. Now we rely on hats, clothing, and shade to prevent sunburn (as our pediatrician recommended all those years ago). We all try to wear shirt-style swimming suits to keep our backs and shoulders protected. When we do use sunscreen, I focus on the areas most likely to sunburn--the nose, cheeks, ears, tops of feet, etc.While I wouldn't advocate spending large stretches of time in direct sunlight, I do advocate spending a few minutes every day (sunscreen-free) with some of your skin exposed to the sun, even babies. In places where sunlight is minimal in winter months, I also advocate taking Vitamin D supplements. I'm convinced that widespread Vitamin D deficiency is largely responsible for the "cold and flu season" phenomenon.

So what am I trying to say with all this Vitamin D babble? Yes, babies need vitamin D. How they get it is a personal decision mothers should discuss with their pediatricians. Personally, I'll echo what the Vitamin D council has to say:

Infants and children under the age of one should obtain a total of 1,000 IU (25 mcg) per day from their formula, sun exposure, or supplements. As most breast milk contains little or no vitamin D, breast-fed babies should take 1,000 IU per day as a supplement unless they are exposed to sunlight. The only exception to this are lactating mothers who either get enough sun exposure or take enough vitamin D (usually 4,000–6,000 IU per day) to produce breast milk that is rich in vitamin D. Formula fed babies should take an extra 600 IU per day until they are weaned and then take 1,000 IU a day, as advised below.

Children over the age of 1 year should take 1,000 IU per every 25 pounds of body weight per day, depending on latitude of residence, skin pigmentation, and sun exposure. On the days they are outside in the summer sun, they do not need to take any; in the winter they will need to supplement accordingly.

I hope that helps!

Speaking of loving the sun, this is one of my new favorite songs. I was introduced to it over our Spring break trip to CA when I attended a prenatal yoga class taught by my book collaborator, Felice. Love it! It's definitely going on my next birthing c.d.

Pain, pain, go away

So... I've had chronic back pain since my first daughter was born. I attribute it to my scoliosis (which has worsened over time through pregnancy and motherhood). I've also spent my life fighting chronic headaches. I used to pop ibuprofen like candy multiple times a day to keep my headaches at bay (now I only take pain killers maybe a couple of times a year).

Reducing processed (MSG-laden) foods in our diet has alleviated my headaches immensely, but I'm finding I can minimize my body pain even more by eating more anti-inflammatory foods and avoiding foods in the nightshade family--tomatoes and potatoes. Apparently they can exacerbate pain for some people. Not sure if I'm one of those people yet, but I'm experimenting to see. (No easy task since I love tomatoes and cook with them all the time.)

I love anti-inflammatory foods. They're my new best friends. Here are a few of my favorites...

1) Turmeric
I had never used this deep yellow spice until this past year when I started hearing about how health-promoting it is. It's a main ingredient in curries and it's what makes mustard yellow. Now I put a bit of turmeric in our meals several times a week. I won't go into all of the health-benefits associated with turmeric, but studies have shown that its natural anti-inflammatory effects are as powerful as painkillers like ibuprofen. The smell and flavor of turmeric remind me a lot of celery which I'm not a huge fan of, but I'm getting used to it.

2) Sweet potatoes
Did you know they're in a different family than regular potatoes? And super healthy too. Since I'm avoiding nightshade vegetables, sweet potatoes will be my substitute in potato recipes. Growing up I really didn't care for sweet potatoes, but they've grown on me a lot over the years, especially since I discovered they can be cooked without marshmallows.

3) Olive oil and fish oil
I was already cooking with olive oil everyday and taking fish oil fairly often, but now I do it with more gusto and purpose. Instead of popping ibuprofen when I've got a headache or my back is particularly painful, I pop fish oil capsules instead. Studies verify that fish oil is an effective and safe alternative for pain relief (olive oil too).

Other anti-inflammatory foods: blueberries (and other berries), papaya, pineapple, broccoli, cauliflower, cherries, garlic, ginger, almonds, apples, cinnamon, dark chocolate, rosemary, chili peppers, meats from grass-fed animals, and more.

Last night we had ground bison and cut-up sweet potatoes sauteed in olive oil with fresh onion and garlic, sprinkled with chili powder and turmeric, steamed broccoli on the side. Yum.

PMS Tips

Diana J. asked if I would explain more about my PMS game plan choices, so here goes.

I started suspecting that my PMS was caused by a hormonal imbalance awhile ago. Progesterone came up on my radar screen mainly because progesterone levels are high during pregnancy, and pregnancy is when I feel most "myself," happy, and emotionally-stable. I've also gathered that abnormally high estrogen levels can cause the anxiety, aggression, and irritability some PMS-sufferers experience (PMS type A). So I'm thinking it's likely I have elevated estrogen levels when they shouldn't be high and not enough progesterone. Maybe.

Based on what I found digging on the internet, I created my own game plan to attempt to regulate my hormones as follows:

1) Early to bed. I'm a night owl. (And I have a baby who nurses off-and-on in the night.) So I'm basically in a state of constant and chronic sleep-deprivation. In fact, I think I could say I've been sleep-deprived since I was in high school when I started frequently staying up late. So that's over a decade of lost sleep. Based on what I've been reading, sleep loss can wreak havoc on your hormone levels. Ooooops. It's also my understanding that our bodies are designed to sleep from about 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Varying from that can cause big problems. Interestingly enough, there was one week-ish when I was consistently going to bed by 10:00 and getting up around 6:00, and I was amazed how great I felt. I'm doing better, but still working on this one.

2) Down with the xenoestrogens. You know... those chemicals in our environment that act like estrogen. They're everywhere! It's virtually impossible to eliminate them from our life, but we can try to minimize our exposure through using more natural and organic products and avoiding foods and drinks heated in plastic, etc. This is one of the reasons why I started drinking organic milk, buying more organic meat/produce, using natural products for lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and drinking from a less-toxic water bottle when I'm out of the house.

3) Mushrooms. In my research, I discovered that mushrooms may reduce estrogen levels and decrease breast cancer risk. If I do have elevated estrogen levels prompting my PMS symptoms, I figure more mushrooms are in order, especially on days 26 and 27 of my cycle (when I usually experience the anxiety, aggression, and irritability). Plus I think they're yummy. So far I've been eating them somewhat randomly, but I think I will start reserving them (they're kind of expensive) specifically for the "luteal phase" (last week-ish) of my cycle. I've never seen or heard of using mushrooms to treat PMS, but I figure it makes logical sense... worth a shot.

4) Other PMS prevention measures.

* Exercise
* Omega-3s
* Avoid junk food
* Get extra calcium (more yogurt), magnesium and vitamin E (almonds), vitamin D, and B vitamins

These are all natural PMS remedies I found popping-up all over the web. I am still trying to work regular exercise into my routine. This site has some excellent tips on what to eat to beat PMS.

I hope this helps! It seems to be helping me so far, and that's a HUGE relief!

Ask Busca: Vitamin K?

Ali asked:

My first question is about Vitamin K injection given at birth. I had two [nursing] teachers tell me they are necessary to jump start the blood coagulation. They also said the dose given in 20,000 times the amount you need. This seems way out of control to me, and also unnecessary. so I was just wondering what you thought about it.

Busca's babble:

I should start off by saying that all three of my children have received a vitamin K injection at birth. I should also admit that except for the brief handout/consent form I received on from my midwives during my last pregnancy, I did zero research on the subject before my children were born. Sad, I know. I guess my only excuse is that I was so busy educating myself about other things that I just never got around to it. So I'm really glad you asked this question because it gave me a chance to do some digging.

The medical establishment's explanation for routine administration of vitamin K is that all babies are born with "low levels" of vitamin K. This begs the question: If all babies are born with "low levels," then aren't their levels of vitamin K "normal" for newborns?

Midwife Sara Wickham explains:

"The risk of a baby who is not given vitamin K developing HDN [Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn] is between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 25,000 (Von Kries and Hanawa 1993). We also know that the babies most at risk from HDN are those who have traumatic births (clinically, this might include babies who are delivered by forceps, ventouse or emergency caesarean section, or babies who show bruising)" (from "Vitamin K - An Alternative Perspective," AIMS Journal, Summer 2001, Vol 13 No 2)

It doesn't surprise me that birth trauma would be highly associated with newborn bleeding disorders. Midwife Ronnie Falcao's gentlebirth.org has a wealth of helpful information. She starts her vitamin K discussion with these points:

Early or "Classic" HDN (also called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding) occurs in the first week of life. It is an iatrogenic condition, meaning that it is caused by medical care:

* premature clamping/cutting of the umbilical cord deprives babies of up to 40% of their natural blood volume, including platelets and other clotting factors
* the use of vacuum extractor or forceps often causes bruising or internal bleeding, which uses up the baby's available clotting factors
* the use of antibiotics inhibits the baby's generation of clotting factors

I'm always quick to believe that God/nature got things right, and it's us fallible humans who got things wrong, so this information just felt right to me.

She also shares fascinating bits of articles and research on vitamin K for newborns. Among the details I found most interesting and pertinent were...

* Colonization of the newborn gut with the mother's fecal matter and microflora is essential to jumpstarting vitamin K production in the newborn. Antibiotics and efforts to make the mother's perineum "sterile" will interfere with this important transfer of beneficial bacteria. "Babies are born next to the anus for a reason!" Yet another reason to avoid a cesarean whenever possible! (More info on how the newborn gut produces vitamin K here.)

* There is little clear-cut evidence that vitamin K injections are themselves harmful, but we can't ignore the fact that an injection will always be a potential avenue of infection. When administered in a hospital, the potential for serious infection is a cause for concern.

* There are situations where a vitamin K injection would be necessary. Some medications taken by the mother may interfere with vitamin K, babies who receive antibiotics have disrupted clotting mechanisms, and an extremely rare liver disorder can inhibit vitamin K production.

* Formula-fed babies receive sufficient vitamin K through feedings to supply their bodies' reserves, so it appears there is little need for these infants to receive vitamin K injections.

* Oral doses of vitamin K are sometimes even more effective at boosting newborn vitamin K levels than injections.

* Eating lots of fresh, leafy green vegetables will boost the vitamin K content of breastmilk and further protect newborns from late-onset HDN.

When/If I have more babies, I hope to do what I can to prevent HDN by giving birth in an environment where my baby will be exposed to beneficial bacteria to jumpstart vitamin K production, avoid birth trauma, delay cord clamping/cutting, and boost my own vitamin K levels through nutrition to increase my breastmilk's vitamin K content. As long as all of these preventative measures are achieved, I think it's unlikely that my future babies' "low" vitamin K levels will be problematic, but I plan to consider oral vitamin K as opposed to an injection if I feel it is necessary.

If all babies could be born under such natural/normal circumstances, I'd wager there would only very rarely be a need for vitamin K administration. As Sara Wickham argues, perhaps newborns and breastmilk are "low" in vitamin K for a reason? Should we really be messing with nature? Ronnie Falcao aptly concludes, "Until we have the definitive answers to these questions, parents have to choose between a system that's been in place for less than a hundred years and one that's been in place for thousands of years."

Any other research, facts, tips, and/or experiences from my readers?

Bugs and Guts

I've been wanting to post about birth and healthy guts for a while now. Years ago I read an article that had a profound impact on me. It was Jeff Leach's "C-sections, breastfeeding, and bugs for your baby." His piece changed the way I viewed the birth canal. Cesareans aren't just another way to give birth. Being born through an incision bypasses an extremely important step in the birth process--being colonized by the "base population" of the mother's vaginal and fecal microflora. Following birth, breastfeeding continues the transfer of healthy microflora (probiotics) from the mother to the infant. Jeff Leach explains:

Studies have shown that at one month of age, both breast-fed and formula-fed infants possess bifidobacterium but population densities in bottle-fed infants is one-tenth that of breast-fed infants. The presence of a healthy and robust population of bifidobacterium throughout the first year or two of life contributes significantly to the child’s resistance to infection and overall development of defense systems – not to mention the physical development of the intestinal system in general. Aside from the substances secreted by these specific bacteria that are known inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, they also work to make the intestinal environment of the infant more acidic, creating an additional barrier against invading pathogens. In short, breast-fed babies are sick less, are less fussy, have fewer and shorter duration of bouts of diarrhea, and have more frequent – and softer – bowel movements. (source)

Cesareans can save lives, but they also put babies at increased risk for infections, allergies, asthma, intestinal problems, skin problems (such as eczema) and future health problems. When there is an absence of breastmilk, those potential problems can become exacerbated.

What are the best ways to ensure a healthy and strong population of gut microflora for your baby?

* Give birth vaginally.
* Keep baby and mother together immediately following birth (to prevent the colonization of harmful bacteria, especially when giving birth in the hospital).
* Breastfeed as soon as possible following birth and frequently thereafter.
* Consume probiotics (in foods or supplements) yourself during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
* Avoid giving your infant antibiotics, if possible.
* Give birth in a location far-removed from harmful bacteria, if possible.

I was delighted (not long after giving birth to my son at home) to discover a study whose results indicated: "Term infants who were born vaginally at home and were breastfed exclusively seemed to have the most 'beneficial' gut microbiota (highest numbers of bifidobacteria and lowest numbers of C difficile and E coli)" (Penders, J, et al, Factors influencing the composition of the intestinal microbiota in early infancy). I wasn't surprised by those findings one bit. It has been informative and eye-opening to see how much impact the events following birth can have.

My first daughter was born vaginally in the hospital, lifted-up briefly for me to see following her birth, taken to the other side of the room to be weighed, poked, smeared, wrapped, and finally brought to me. We were talked into giving her formula during her first night because she wasn't latching well. We did establish a good latch with the help of the lactation consultants and some contraptions. We stayed in the hospital an extra day largely because of my perineal trauma (we spent two nights there). Of all my children, she was the most irritable/fussy. She was also the only one to experience troublesome eczema and diaper rash as well as frequent bouts of croup throughout infancy and childhood. She is also the only one of my children to exhibit a possible food allergy.

My second daughter was born vaginally in the hospital, placed immediately on my chest, breastfed exclusively following birth, and spent barely over 24 hours in the hospital. She experienced only minor diaper rashes, no eczema, has never developed croup, and rarely gets sick.

My son was born vaginally at home, placed immediately on my chest, spent his first hours at my chest and breast, and never entered a hospital. He developed a skin infection a week after birth, but recovered quickly (through oral and topical antibiotics, but I chugged probiotics to prevent thrush and other problems). I have consumed more probiotics while breastfeeding him than I ever have before. He has been my least fussy baby and has never needed diaper ointment nor developed eczema.

The more I learn, the more convinced I am that what happens during and after birth matters A LOT. Do you think you baby's postpartum gut microflora had an impact on his/her behavior or health short-term or long-term?

Related links:

Allergies, Asthma, and Eczema: Response to Disturbance of the Microbiota of the Newborn Gut

The potential for probiotics to prevent bacterial vaginosis and preterm labor

Improved appetite of pregnant rats and increased birth weight of newborns (following probiotic feeding)

Probiotics may aid postpartum weight loss

Probiotics during pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, and their impact on immunity

Probiotics in infants for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity

Breastfed baby growth

Mr. Bubs is definitely chunking-up nicely. His plumpness has me thinking about baby growth. I've noticed a trend in my own experience and among my friends whose babies are breastfed for at least a year. Our babies grow much more quickly in the first few months and then their weights taper off or plateau. They follow a completely different trend than the growth charts you see in the pediatricians' offices.

I've heard so many stories from friends and family of their doctors being concerned about their babies' growth between 6 months and 18 months. 'Cause they pretty much stop gaining weight and just start getting taller and thinner. So the doctors recommend formula supplementation or tests to check for problems. But nearly all the moms have said that they're sure their babies are fine... they're happy, reaching developmental milestones, etc. With all the childhood obesity out there, you'd think doctors would be delighted to see thin, thriving, smart little babies! Fortunately, our doctors never showed too much concern.

I'd heard that breastfed babies grow differently and that the growth charts weren't the best gauge for them, but I'd never researched the particulars myself until last night.

Read the rest of this post over at my new website!

I've said it before

But I'll say it again. :-) And again, I'm sure.

Vitamin d rocks.

I just finished reading another site's report of the vitamin d deficiency and cesarean link I mentioned a few posts back. Here's an excerpt:

"The study found that a deficiency of vitamin D is linked to hypertension (high blood pressure) and muscle weakness, two conditions that may be associated with a higher risk of requiring a C-section. In other studies, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to pre-eclampsia, a condition which occurs in later pregnancy, causing high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Pre-eclampsia is a serious illness which can threaten both mother and baby" (Jennifer Bunn, RN, "Want to Avoid a C-Section? Make Sure You Get Enough Vitamin D").

Science relieves my conscience again... guess that sunblock can stay in the back of the cupboard with the folic acid. ;-)

An apple a day-ish...

And fish once a week. That's what pregnant moms should be eating if they want to protect their babies from asthma and eczema, according to a study recently conducted by Dutch researchers. Dr. Jennifer Appleyard (fitting name, eh?), chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, urges pregnant women to "pick your foods wisely, because what you're eating today may not only nourish your body, but may have an impact on your baby's future health." Read the details from U.S. News and World Report at "Prenatal Nutrition, Postnatal Allergy Protection."

Easing my conscience

This study makes me feel a lot better about "forgetting" to take prenatal vitamins (except for maybe once a month or so). The truth is I've just never felt good about taking them. I prefer to get my vitamins from real foods. So it's not that I didn't get plenty of folic acid in my early pregnancy. I did--peas, broccoli, greens, cereals, etc. Just not from pills.

I'd be interested to see whether folic acid from real food sources has the same negative effect on infants? I'd wager NO. Anyway... I've never been very good about taking prenatal vitamins and my kids have avoided asthma and have never had respiratory tract infections. Interesting.

Wanna improve your odds?

I mentioned back in April that I had been skimming the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy, by James F. Clapp M.D. I was really impressed at that time with the amazing benefits of exercising through pregnancy. But I didn't read the book in-depth. I decided earlier this week that I wanted to take a closer look. Now that I've read several of the chapters and examined the data thoroughly, I am telling you... it absolutely blows me away! Look past the cheesy/dated cover picture, my friends, and read this book! Or, if nothing else, keep reading this blogpost.

There are risks inherent in pregnancy and childbirth, but we can do things to minimize those risks. We all know that good nutrition is essential for pregnant women. Poor nutrition often leads to pre-term and low-birthweight infants as well as pre-eclampsia in mothers. Eating well is one of the absolute best things you can do for your unborn child's physical and neurological growth. But now I'm convinced that exercise may be just as important.

I won't go into all the benefits of prenatal exercise here. I'd just like to focus on one set of benefits in particular--the effects of exercise on the course of labor. You might remember my very early post about the benefits of doulas. Having a doula assist your labor and delivery reduces many chidbirth risks significantly. Prenatal exercise has even more pronounced benefits!

Women who continue exercising regularly through the end of their pregnancies (three times a week for at least 20 minutes at a moderately hard to hard level of exertion) demonstrated the following reduced risks during the birth process...

* 35% decrease in the need for pain relief
* 75% decrease in the incidence of maternal exhaustion
* 50% decrease in the need to artificially rupture membranes
* 50% decrease in the need to induce or augment labor with pitocin
* 50% decrease in the need to intervene because of abnormalities in the fetal heart rate
* 55% decrease in the need for episiotomy
* 75% decrease in the need for operative intervention (forceps or cesarean section)

In addition, check these out...

* More than 65% of the exercising women delivered in less than four hours.
* 72% delivered before their due date (but fewer of them delivered before 37 weeks--preterm--than the control group). The exercising women delivered, on average, 5-7 days earlier than active women who did not exercise regularly.
* Significant reduction in the incidence of umbilical cord entanglement.
* Much lower incidence of fetus passing meconium from distress.
* Umbilical cord blood samples indicated that babies of exercising moms remained relatively stress-free with plenty of oxygen. They seemed to tolerate the stresses of labor and delivery better than the control group.
* The exercising mothers' infants were, on average, 14 oz lighter but overall growth was not compromised.
* Placentas of exercising mothers are larger, more efficient, and healthier-looking.
* Infants born to exercising mothers were more alert postpartum and needed less consolation from others.

(All of these results are taken from Dr. Clapp's studies as reported in Exercising Through Your Pregnancy. See this fabulous book for even more amazing benefits.)

It blows my mind.

Imagine how huge the risk reductions would be if you exercised through pregnancy AND had a doula. Whoah. We can do so much to avoid the pitfalls of pregnancy and birth! It gives me so much joy and hope to know that I am not at the mercy of chance. I have a great deal of power over my circumstances when it comes to pregnancy and birth. It is a wonderful thing to be able to choose to pro-actively reduce risks and bring so much benefit to myself and my babies. I love it!

And you thought folic acid was important...

Folic acid isn't the only thing pregnant women should be concerned about. Omega-3s are right up there on the list of things they should be ingesting daily. Unfortunately, most pregnant women don't. American Chronicle reports, "According to food consumption surveys, 85% of all women are deficient in the EPA and DHA fatty acids [two types of omega-3s]. Among pregnant women, only 2% have diets that meet their needs for EPA and DHA. The rest get less than 18% of the recommended daily allowance"(source). What's the big deal about omega-3s?

1. Omega-3s protect your brain. "Many pregnant women are deficient in a variety of nutrients, including Omega-3 PUFAs [polyunsaturated fatty acids]. In an effort to provide for the baby's needs, a woman may lose 3 percent of her brain mass during the last trimester" (Maryann Marshall, "Omega-3 Fats During Pregnancy Provide an Alternative to Anti-Depressant Drugs," emphasis added). Maybe that explains why many women experience "mommy brain" in the first few months after giving birth?! Which leads to the next point...

2. Omega-3s protect you from depression. Omega-3 deficiency has been linked to depression, and the loss of brain mass resulting from providing the baby's needs (as mentioned above) is thought to be one cause of postpartum depression. Depressed pregnant and postpartum women who were given omega-3 supplements saw significant improvement in their symptoms. (More info here, here, and here)

3. Omega-3s build your baby's brain and other vital tissues. "EPA and DHA are . . . vitally important to the optimum growth and development of the baby's brain, eyes and nervous system . . . . These essential fatty acids make up nearly 70% of a newborn baby´s brain, retina and nervous system" (American Chronicle). Studies show that children whose mothers consume fish (high in omega-3 fatty acids) during pregnancy demonstrate superior cognitive function. (More info)

4. Omega-3s prevent several pregnancy complications. Deficiencies in omega-3 fatty acids can lead to pre-eclampsia in mothers and prematurity and low-birth weights in babies.

Omega-3s are amazing. Unfortunately, it isn't always safe to get our daily dose from the local fish market. Mercury and other toxins have made their way into many of the fish available for consumption. How can you safely get your omega-3s? Select only high-quality wild (not farmed) fish or fish oil supplements. Some forms of omega-3 can also be found in plant products like flax seeds, walnuts, and some herb spices. (More info)

So throw back something fishy with your folic acid. It's definitely worth it!

References
"Omega-3 acids reduce postpartum depression, UA pilot study suggests"
"Omega-3 Fats During Pregnancy Provide an Alternative to Anti-Depressant Drugs"
"Omega-3 may ease depression during pregnancy"
"Omega 3 Fish Oil During Pregnancy"
"Prenatal fish intake benefits kids' brains"

Two Tidbits Courtesy of Midwifery Today

I subscribe to Midwifery Today's weekly E-News, and found a couple of things in today's email worth mentioning.

Induction and Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

Part of this issue of E-News contained an excerpt from a Midwifery Today article entitled, "The Problem Is Induction, Not Meconium," by Gail Hart. Meconium is the fetus's thick, dark-colored first bowel movement, and, when found in the amniotic fluid, it is a sign of fetal distress. Meconium itself is not generally a problem unless it gets into the fetus's lungs--meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). It is generally accepted that meconium is more common the longer the pregnancy goes, but that may be simply because those pregnancies are most likely to be induced. Gail Hart shares the findings of a study indicating that the factor most strongly associated with MAS was induction, not being postdates. This makes sense when you remember that drug-induced contractions can be abnormally intense and long, restricting oxygen supply to the fetus. It follows that fetuses being born by induction would experience more distress. Just one more strike against pitocin/induction in my book, as if I needed any more. Check out the actual excerpt from Gail Hart's article here.

Infant Formula and DHA/ARA

The other tidbit I wanted to share was especially disturbing. I have for the past few years been a big proponent of everyone making sure they get their omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, but this issue of E-News shared the dark side of the omega-3 craze as it applies to infant formula.

Based on a report presented by the Cornucopia Institute (a corporate watch-dog group), the DHA/ARA added to many infant formulas is created from fermented algae and fungus and is structurally different than the DHA/ARA found in breast milk. The FDA isn't even convinced of the safety of these algal and fungal DHA/ARA additives! Apparently some infants fed DHA/ARA formula have even suffered from severe diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and seizures until being switched to a non-DHA/ARA-supplemented formula. Some infants even suffered death. Despite the FDA's reservations, these additives were somehow still approved for infant/human consumption.

Formulas supplemented with DHA/ARA are marketed as being "more like breastmilk," suggesting to consumers that they are somehow healthier than other formulas. In fact, scientific studies are inconclusive regarding the benefits of these DHA/ARA additives. Martek Biosciences Corporation, a manufacturer of these additives even acknowledges: "Even if [DHA/ARA] has no benefit, we think it would be widely incorporated into formulas, as a marketing tool and to allow companies to promote their formula as 'closest to human milk'"(source). Here's what the Cornucopia Institute concludes about the motives of infant formula manufacturers: "Given the safety concerns and doubts within the scientific community, it is clear that the infant formula manufacturers’ claims are marketing tools designed to sell more formula, and sell it at a higher price"(source). So what it really comes down to is money. Are we really surprised? Of course not. They're corporations and it's their job to make money. Adding DHA/ARA sells more formula, regardless of the fact that it's very different from the DHA/ARA in breastmilk and may actually be dangerous.

Unfortunately, parents are too busy or too trusting to ask any questions about it. I know for a fact that, if I had needed to feed my infants formula, I would have gone with the DHA/ARA version because I would have believed it was better. Get this... just yesterday I bought some Yoplait drinkable yogurt. Which kind did I pick? The one that said "with DHA" on it, of course! I looked at the label this morning, and, sure enough, it has "omega-3 DHA algal oil"--the very stuff implicated the Cornucopia Institute's report! Marketers certainly aren't stupid. They know omega-3 DHA is all the rage. I'm especially prone to buy into the notion that anything with DHA is better, regardless of where that DHA came from. Oops.

Included in the Cornucopia Institute's report is the following disturbing tidbit (evidence that infant formula marketers have done their job very well): "According to the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy, mothers have contacted health care providers asking the following: 'I want the breast milk formula,' or 'I want the formula with breast milk in it,' and asking questions such as 'whose breast milk is in the formula?'"(source). Oh my.

While I do find all of this disturbing, I also recognize and accept that infant formula is a life-saver for infants who are unable to breastfeed. And, given this fact, I do believe that formula manufacturers should do everything they can to create a product as close as possible to breastmilk. Unfortunately, in the end, it's just a sort of lost cause because breastmilk is something technology, no matter how advanced, cannot duplicate. While formula saves some lives, it will never be ideal. I'll end with this quotation from the International Baby Feeding Action Network:

"While researchers fiddle with the balance of fatty acids in infant formula, and deal with the additional uncertainties of the complex cascade of interactions that each adjustment provokes within the omega families, breast milk will always be the simple, perfectly balanced source of each essential nutrient."(source)

For more info, see...
Midwifery Today, Volume 10, Issue 11
"Replacing Mother — Imitating Human Breast Milk in the Laboratory"
"C-sections, breastfeeding, and bugs for your baby," by Jeff Leach

Caffeine and Miscarriage

The New York Times reported Monday the findings of a study demonstrating that caffeine doubles the risk of miscarriage. Check out the full article HERE.

Improving Fertility

It seems that more and more women are struggling with infertility. I’ve heard several explanations for this increase. Some say it’s the result of estrogen-like pesticides in the environment. Others blame the increasing trend of delaying childbirth. Regardless of the cause, I worry that far too many women feel helpless in their struggle with infertility. I was lucky to become pregnant with my first daughter after only nine months of trying off and on. Some women try for years without luck, many of them being pumped full of expensive drugs and chemicals supposedly designed to help them. Several women whom I love dearly are currently struggling with this heart-breaking problem. I’m always looking for natural solutions to health problems, so I decided to do a little internet research about infertility and see what I could come up with. Here are are some tips for boosting your fertility (and your overall health).

1. Attempt pregnancy during your peak years of fertility (age 20-27). A woman reaches her peak of fertility sometime between the ages of 24 and 27, depending on which expert you ask. Eggs released between the teens and late 20’s are the most fertile and highest quality eggs released in a woman’s lifetime. (more info, more info)

2. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine decrease both female and male fertility. One website indicates that alcohol and caffeine consumption (more than a cup of coffee a day) can each decrease your fertility by 50%.

3. Avoid refined carbs. High insulin levels are associated with infertility (source). Though every person’s insulin response is slightly different, in general, the more refined the carbohydrates, the stronger and faster your body’s insulin response will be. Limit your intake of refined carbs such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white breads and pastas, etc. Choose whole grain carbohydrates and balance each meal with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to slow down the body’s insulin response. In a recent study conducted by Harvard researchers, reducing intake of sugar and refined carbs was one of eight lifestyle changes associated with a significant increase in fertility.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. Excess body fat can lead to increased levels of estrogen, throwing off hormonal balances and disrupting a woman’s fertility. The opposite--extremely low body fat--is also not conducive to baby-making. Women who are unhealthily thin can experience amenorrhea (absence of menstrual periods). Take whatever actions necessary to bring your weight into a healthy range. For some women, this step alone is enough to help them conceive.

5. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Dr. Randine Lewis outlines the importance of balancing the body’s pH levels to promote conception. In her book, The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies, she explains, “Acidic cervical mucus may become hostile to sperm, which requires an alkaline environment to survive”(source). Most fruits and vegetables (with a few exceptions) are alkalinizing, so they will promote a pH environment more friendly to sperm. Fruits and vegetables are also loaded with antioxidants which promote overall health and help to protect the reproductive organs from stress. Antioxidants have also been shown to improve male fertility by promoting sperm health.

6. Eat meat, poultry, fish, and full-fat dairy products. Vegetarian and vegan diets tend to be low in vitamin B12 and can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 plays a key role in ovulation and the development of new tissue, so women who are deficient often struggle with infertility and repeated miscarriages (source). The best sources of vitamin B12 are fish, meats, and dairy products (supplements are also an option). When you consume dairy products, be sure you are eating full-fat versions. A study conducted by Harvard researchers revealed that women consuming high-fat dairy products had a lower risk of infertility from ovulatory disorders, and women consuming low-fat dairy products had a significantly increased risk of infertility from ovulatory disorders.

7. Spend time in the beautiful sunshine (or, in other words, increase your vitamin D levels). Vitamin D deficiency can lead to infertility. One study with female rats showed a 75% decrease in fertility among those with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the U.S., so you may be deficient without even realizing it. One of the best and easiest ways to increase your vitamin D levels is to simply spend time outdoors in the sunshine (without sunscreen). When sunlight hits your skin, your body produces ample amounts of vitamin D. As always, you’d want to avoid burning. In addition, you can take a vitamin D supplement.

It's my belief that most of our health struggles have logical causes and natural solutions. For many women struggling with fertility, it may be that a few simple lifestyle changes can make all the difference. At the same time, it is likely that some women will be fertile no matter what they eat and drink, and some women will be infertile no matter how healthy their food and lifestyle choices are. Sometimes it's simply out of our hands. Despite those cases, I believe we can take charge of our health and make significant improvements. Even if the tips above don't lead to conception, they will lead to greater health. And that's something we can all benefit from.