Author: Jenny

I am a public health nutrition counselor with fifteen years experience in the field of prenatal and early child health and lactation education (breast feeding support). Autoimmune disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and genetic defects that can cause nutrient deficiencies are also research interests.
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Pollution risks are shared around the world

I may try to be funny at times but I don’t joke about health or the impact the environment can have on health. Our nation’s future deserves to be protected by all of us including our elected officials. A clean supply of air, water and food is necessary for current and future generations of humans and other life. Pollution is damaging to both our health and our property.Not only our health is at risk but our grandchildren’s children can be negatively impacted by today’s pollutants. Small changes in genetic structure can occur in the eggs that are developing within a female fetus during the prenatal time. Those small changes can reduce the health of the child and be replicated in the child’s children. Protecting pregnant women from stress and harsh chemicals not only helps their babies but it also helps protect the babies’ future children. [1]

Ignoring pollution risks the future of life on the planet. Humans are not the only species suffering from chronic disease and illness. [11] This land is not only our land. Humans are unlikely to thrive on a planet with few other lifeforms. The chemicals that we spread on farm fields or city parks or that we wash airplanes with add toxins to the ground water and eventually pollutants show up in the oceans.

Excess carbon dioxide from combustion is sequestered from air pollution by the minerals dissolved in ocean waters but the buffering capacity is not unlimited. Acidity levels are rising in the oceans. [2,3]

Life and ships may not thrive for long in increasingly acidic sea water. Our oceans are not acidic currently but small changes in acidity do impact the growth of shellfish and may increase the need for maintenance of ships. The paint that we protect our ships with isn’t perfectly healthy either but corrosion would be worse for the ship’s cargo and crew. Maintenance requires the time for staff to order the work and supplies and to perform the work. [4, 5, 6] And staff and supplies require a budget to finance the work and purchases. Coordination and cooperation requires communication and that has a cost as well.

Free information carries the cost of awareness and for some that can be an undesirable expense. Negative campaigning twists words and facts into soundbites that make promises or warnings that may have little foundation in reality. Denial of truth is an easier soundbite to share than the disturbing reality that we actually share.

A recent study at Stanford University comparing food grown by organic or standard methods found a difference in disease resistant pathogens and in pesticide content but not a significant difference in nutrient content. The benefit of reduced pesticide content is not just for the person eating the food. There would be less toxins added to the ground water each year that the chemicals weren’t added to the fields or animal fodder. [8, 9]

We are trying to survive in a world increasingly loaded with chemicals that were previously unknown in nature. Some noticed the increasing environmental and health problems decades ago and have been working to increase awareness and reduce the chemical contamination but more awareness and action is needed. Consumers can use their purchasing and voting power and businesses can develop more environmentally sustainable products and policies.

My opinions are my own, no disrespect is intended.

/Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and  the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

  1. Varghese AC, et. al., “Oocyte developmental competence and embryo development: impact of lifestyle and environmental risk factors,” Reproductive BioMedicine Online (2011), doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2010.11.009 [clevelandclinic.org]
  2. “Ocean Acidity” Figure 1: Ocean Carbon Dioxide Levels and Acidity, 1983-2005, EPA.gov: [epa.gov]
  3. Article by Helen Scales, Oceans Becoming Acidic Ten Times Faster Than (previously) Thought, (Nov. 24, 2008) Nat. Geo: [news.nationalgeographic.com]
  4. Salt Water, Fasteners and Boats, [marfas.com] *Guidance for the small boat owner.
  5. US Navy, Corrosion Control, NAVFAC MO-307, Sept. 1992, [scribd.com/doc] *A long document that I included  simply as an example of the many details involved in planning for maintenance needs.
  6. Ship Maker Denies Responsibility For Rust on New Navy Ship, (June 21, 2011) PaintSquare: [paintsquare.com]
  7. Article by Andrea Shalal-Esa, “Austal’s first high speed ship completes U.S. Navy acceptance trials” (Aug. 30, 2012) Reuters, NBC News: [msnbc.msn.com]
  8. Article by Shannon Pettypiece, “Organic Food Adds No Vitamins for Extra Cost, Research Finds,” (Sept. 4, 2012) WashingtonPost: [washingtonpost.com]
  9. Article by Robyn O’Brien, “Organic Food vs. Conventional: What the Stanford Study Missed,” (Sept. 6, 2012) Huffington Post: [huffingtonpost.com]
  10. A prior post included information about problems that have been seen in the health of coral reefs and sea turtles. “Coral reefs in peril, less perilous topic than religion or politics” (April 9, 2012) [gingerjens.blogspot.com]
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How do we pay for change

And the big question is . . . how do we pay for change?
“Oh . . . my taxes . . . oh my!” For starters, can we bring back the romantic days of IRS agents against big tax cheats like in the days of Al Capone. Let’s change tactics and recover tax dollars for the budget instead of raising tax rates. Empowering IRS agents with the time and resources necessary for examining big budget tax returns could help recover larger amounts of taxes than would be possible from examining many, many small returns. It is ridiculous that IRS inspectors have unreasonable accountability criteria to meet. Instead of going after a goal of recovering maximum tax dollars that had been withheld illegally, IRS agents are legislated to produce large numbers of audits without specific goals towards retrieving unpaid taxes. So lots of little easy audits get done by the overworked staff. Examining the tax returns of low income workers that may be claiming the Earned Income Credit may generate large numbers of cases but frequently those cases don’t result in any action or much recovered money if any.

Spark the public interest in tax cheats. If we pay, big business tax cheats should pay too.

If a retired business man has a half million in deductions alone, I would think an IRS agent might be curious about what types of expenses a retired person might have that required untaxed money.

Jumping to a potential new pot of taxable income – Medical marijuana dispensaries in some states have been trying to keep careful records and pay taxes on service related revenue but the discrepancy between federal and state laws have made it difficult for some to stay in business. Reasonable business deductions have been disallowed and excessive amounts of tax are being demanded from the health care services. [1, 2] However sales tax on a prescription medication isn’t legal anyway and donations to a non-profit cooperative would also seem exempt from standard business tax guidelines. [3]

Taxes can be used to help promote changes that reduce long term risks and costs. Preventing problems through education can be an inexpensive way to pay for change.

Reducing health care costs with improved preventative nutrition education programs has been proven both possible and cost efficient. The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,Infants and Children (WIC) has been found to save three to eight dollars in Medicaid costs for every one dollar spent on WIC. Actual savings may have been even better because some children on WIC have private insurance and their health care wouldn’t have been included in any Medicaid studies. The WIC program is a health program for working class families. A family making equal to or less than 185% of the poverty line with expected infants or children under age five may be eligible for WIC services.
  • About the WIC program: [fns.usda.gov/wic/]
  • “WIC Program Participation and Costs” (July 26, 2012) A chart showing the numbers of participants, the total food and program expenditures and the average value of the food package provided to the participants. [fns.usda.gov/pd/wisummary.htm] The program’s first full year served 344,000 participants who received health education and screening services and a food package valuing an average of $18.58 per participant per month. In 2010 the program served 9,175,000 participants and provided a food package with an average monthly value of $41.44.
  • Article by Douglas J. Besharov and Peter Germanis “Is WIC as Good as They Say?” (First published in “The Public Interest,” Winter, 1999) [welfareacademy.org] *this article is reviewing the cost savings claim of $3 dollars saved in Medicaid costs for every dollar spent for a pregnant woman participating in the WIC program. The following excerpt regarding the home visit maternal support program suggests that unseen cost savings could be incalculable:

A randomized experiment in Elmira, New York, found that the nurse home visitors achieved a 25 percent drop in smoking by the end of the pregnancy, a 75 percent reduction in premature births among pregnant women who had smoked, and large birth-weight increases for babies born to young teen mothers (nearly 400 grams for mothers aged 14 to 16). In addition, 15-year follow-up findings indicate almost a 31 percent reduction in the subsequent childbearing for low-income, unmarried mothers (1.1 versus 1.6 subsequent births). Verified cases of child abuse and neglect were 79 percent lower, drug and alcohol problems 44 percent lower, arrests among the mothers 69 percent lower, and welfare use 33 percent lower. As a result, the program led to large savings in government spending. (Replications of this study are showing similarly impressive results in Memphis, Tennessee, and Denver, Colorado.)

The article also suggests that a more authoritarian approach to the educational services provided in WIC could improve outcomes even more. I would be concerned that a more authoritarian approach could also decrease participation in a voluntary program and decrease the positive outcomes. Forcing change rarely works for long. Few people want to be told how they should behave or how they should eat or feed their children.

Providing guidance about risks and benefits of a variety of choices can help individuals make their own decisions about what best fits their lives and abilities. Being told what should be done and exactly how it should be done can backfire by adding a larger sense of failure or shame to a person that may be struggling in circumstances unimaginable to the average person. The wrong message at the wrong time might tip the person in difficult circumstances into giving up altogether. People choose to make changes and have to work at developing new habits. Tax dollars can be used to help people make affordable health decisions before chronic problems develop.

Consider what kind of legacy we want to leave our children. Do we want our children and grand children to suffer further health dangers from increasing levels of pollution in the air, water and food supply; increased numbers of infants born with birth defects or who are premature or low birth weight; worsening weather, storms and floods; desertification of farm fields; diminishing numbers of wildlife species; and infertility issues for humans and other species? Or do we want to reverse the reversals on policies that help protect the environment and health?

  1. Article by Robert W. Wood, “Taxes are Killing Medical Marijuana Like Roundup,” (Aug. 3, 2012) Forbes.com [forbes.com]
  2. Article by Robert W. Wood, “Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Keep on Truckin’ Despite IRS,” (May 24, 2012) Forbes.com [forbes.com]
  3. Article by Mike Baker, A.P., “State tax collectors audit medical pot dispensaries,” (Aug. 18, 2012) Seattle Times: [seattletimes]
  4. A video statement from a retired Deputy Chief of police regarding crime and drug policy, “You won’t believe what this cop says about the War on Drugs,” Youtube: [youtube.com]
Disclaimer: Eat to live, not eating doesn’t end well. I hope to have helped, not harmed. A blog spot is for informational purposes only and is not the same thing as individual counseling. Abruptly stopping medications can result in death.
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B vitamin methyl donors may help protect against risks from BPA

     Research in the field of epigenetics by a team led by Dr. Randy Jirtle, an oncologist at Duke University, found physical changes in the experimental groups to be preventable if the experimental BPA diet was also supplemented with the B vitamins, folic acid and B12.
     Mice who were fed BPA prenatally had significantly more babies develop a characteristic hair color and they were at increased risk for gaining excess weight compared to the control group of prenatal mice that did not receive any BPA. However when the mice were fed a diet with extra B vitamins prenatally along with the BPA there were fewer babies with the change in hair color and associated health risks. The addition of the soy bean phytochemical, genistein, also helped reduce the number of baby mice who developed the change in hair color pigmentation. [1,2]
    Bisphenyl A acts similarly to the hormone estrogen. Genistein is a phytoestrogen that may help block harmful effects of estrogen mimetics. The B vitamins used in the study were chosen because they can donate a methyl group which is necessary for allowing genes to remain unactivated, to stay in an off position. A gene that has few methyl groups may be more easily activated than normally.

      Two other methyl donors, choline and betaine, were used in addition to the folic acid and vitamin B12. Choline is also a water soluble essential nutrient that is frequently grouped with the rest of the B vitamins. Choline is found throughout the body but is particularly important within the brain. Betaine is a metabolite of choline. Spinach and beets are rich in betaine. Good sources of choline include egg yolks, soy beans, beef, poultry, seafood, green leafy vegetables and cauliflower. [3]

Betaine is also being marketed as a medication for helping to reduce blood levels of homocysteine in the inherited condition, homocystinuria. (Reducing elevated levels of homocysteine may also reduce the risk of developing heart disease.) [4]

A prenatal diet providing a low intake of the methyl donors folate and B12 has been associated with cardiomyopathy in the infants. [5] Infants born to mothers with a low intake of the methyl donors folate, B12 and choline were also more at risk for cardiomyopathy later in life. [6] Not taking prenatal vitamins during the three months prior to conceiving or during the first month of pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk for autism in the infants especially for women who have a genetic variation in their methylation metabolism, (MTHFR 677 TT, CBSrs234715 GT + TT). [9] People with problems in the methylation pathways may need to take a methylated form of B12 and folate rather than the more commonly available form of folic acid. [10]

A link between BPA intake and an increased risk for heart disease has been discovered. [7] The physiologic reason is not known. Tips from the article for people hoping to reduce exposure to BPA include:

  1. avoid use of foods and beverages from cans,
  2. avoid re-using plastic bottles for beverages,
  3. limit handling of store receipts or placing them in store bags with unwrapped foods. Some register receipts have a BPA coating
  4. and wash your hands after handling register receipts. [7]

Adequate B vitamin intake is essential for reducing elevated levels of homocysteine. An increased blood level of homocysteine has been associated with increased heart disease risk. The amount of calcification within coronary arteries has also been shown to be predictive of heart disease risk. [8]

It has not been conclusively proven that a diet with adequate supplies of methyl donors protects DNA from changes that may be caused by BPA but a diet providing plenty of B vitamins is also unlikely to cause harm. B vitamins are water soluble and quite safe except in such large doses that would be difficult to obtain from food sources alone. The B vitamins work together in metabolic pathways that are essential for burning and using energy sources. The B vitamins might be described as being similar to matchsticks for accessing  the stored energy and so they are important for daily energy levels and for a good mood.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
  1. Synopsis of the BPA prenatal mouse study, by Pete Myers, PhD, “Bisphenol A alters epigenetic programming in fetal mice, and the effect can be reversed by genistein“, (about the BPA mouse study) (July 30, 2007): [environmentalhealthnews.org/] *link i no longer working. Excerpt: “The new findings focus on BPA’s ability to remove ‘protective molecules’ that normally prevent genes from being turned on at the wrong time or in the wrong tissue.”
  2. The full research article: by Dana C Dolinoy, Dale Huang, Randy L. Jirtle, Maternal nutrient supplementation counteracts bisphenol A-induced DNA hypomethylation in early development, PNAS, August 7, 2007, vol 104, No. 32, 13056-13061 [pnas.org] *The mice in the experimental groups were being fed a diet including 50 mg BPA/kg which was considered to be less than the known toxic dose for mice but it represents a greater amount than is assumed to be found in the average human’s daily diet.
  3. “Choline” on whfoods.com: [whfoods.com]
  4. “Betaine,” (Feb. 11, 2012) PubMed Health: [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/]  *link not working, part of the information is available here: [med.nyu.edu]
  5. Garcia MM et al, “Methyl donor deficiency induces cardiomyopathy through altered methylation/acetylation of PGC-1α by PRMT1 and SIRT1.” J Pathol. 2011 Nov;225(3):324-35. doi: 10.1002/path.2881. Epub 2011 Jun 1. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
  6. Joseph J, “Fattening by deprivation: methyl balance and perinatal cardiomyopathy.”   J Pathol. 2011 Nov;225(3):315-7. doi: 10.1002/path.2942. Epub 2011 Jul 7. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
  7. Kathleen Doheny, “Higher BPA Levels, More Heart Disease? Researchers Find Higher BPA Levels Linked With Narrower Arteries; Industry Says Study Proves Nothing” (Aug. 15, 2012) WebMD: [webmd.com]
  8. Michael O’Riordan, “Coronary artery calcium bests other risk markers for CVD risk assessment” (Aug. 22, 2012) theheart.org: [theheart.org/article] *subscription service
  9. Rebecca J. Schmidt, et. al. , “Prenatal vitamins, one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism,” Epidemiology. 2011 Jul; 22(4): 476–485. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
  10. “Folate is essential and Folic Acid is commonly available,” Aug. 21, 2013 [transcendingsquare.com]
  11. “MTHFR C677T Mutation: Basic Protocol,” by Dr Lynch on February 24, 2012

Other references regarding B vitamins:

    1. Article by Kate Geagan, MS, RD, End Your Energy Crisis With B12, (Jan. 10, 2012), The Doctor Oz Show website: [doctoroz.com/]
    2. Mood Disorders – Depression, The Vitamin Update website: [vitamin-update.com] Includes information about mental health symptoms and functions of several B vitamins and a few trace minerals.
    3. Author: Vladimir Hegyi, Dermatologic Manifestations of Pellegra, (May 15, 2012) emedicine.Medscape: [emedicine.medscape.com] (deficiency of Niacin or B3)
    4. Author: Dieu-Thu Nguyen-Khoa, BeriBeri (Thiamin Deficiency), (Dec. 13, 2011) emedicine Medscape: [emedicine.medscape.com] (B1)
    5. Author: Richard E. Frye, Pyridoxine Deficiency, (May 26, 2010) emedicine Medscape: [emedicine.medscape.com] (B6)
    6. Author: Angela Gentili, Folic Acid Deficiency, (Dec 1, 2011) emedicine Medscape: [emedicine.medscape.com]
/Disclosure: This information is provided for educational purposes and is not intended to provide individual health care. Please see a health professional for individualized health care./
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Blueberry Rhubarb Jam – heart smart and anti-cancer.

Rhubarb has been used medicinally in Traditional Chinese Medicine for “antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anticancer medicines” since 270 BC – that is an evidence trail. Preparation methods and difference in growing conditions or varieties effect quality and reduce efficacy. (Xiang, et al, 2020)

“Rhubarb (also named Rhei or Dahuang), one of the most ancient and important herbs in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), belongs to the Rheum L. genus from the Polygonaceae family, and its application can be traced back to 270 BC in “Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing”. Rhubarb has long been used as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anticancer medicine in China. However, for a variety of reasons, such as origin, variety and processing methods, there are differences in the effective components of rhubarb, which eventually lead to decreased quality and poor efficacy.” (Xiang, et al, 2020)

Rhubarb is a good source of iodine, as the plant can uptake iodine from the soil better than other plants and then contain a higher concentration of iodine than the soil. Low iodine soil might lead to a less beneficial phytonutrient content.

Three major rhubarb anthraquinones: emodin, aloe-emodin and rhein.

“The most abundant anthraquinone of rhubarb, emodin, was capable of inhibiting cellular proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and prevention of metastasis. These capabilities are reported to act through tyrosine kinases, phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase C (PKC), NF-kappa B (NF-kappaB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades.

Aloe-emodin is another major component in rhubarb found to have anti-tumor properties. Its anti-proliferative property has been demonstrated to be through the p53 and its downstream p21 pathway. Our recent proteomic study also suggests that the molecular targets of these two anthraquinones are different. However, both components were found to be able to potentiate the anti-proliferation of various chemotherapeutic agents.

Rhein is the other major rhubarb anthraquinone, although less well studied. This compound could effectively inhibit the uptake of glucose in tumor cells, caused changes in membrane-associated functions and led to cell death. Interestingly, all three major rhubarb anthraquinones were reported to have in vitro phototoxic.” (Huang, et al, 2007)

“in vitro phototoxic” – phototoxicity refers to topical application of a chemical that causes skin irritation in the presence of light. “in vitro” means it was tested in lab conditions. Emodin and aloe-emodin are also found in aloe vera gel and is beneficial for skin health, but maybe sun-sensitivity too?

What is phototoxicity potential? Phototoxicity potential is evaluated by the relative reduction in viability of cells exposed to the test chemical in the presence as compared to the absence of simulated sunlight. Chemicals identified as positive in this test may be phototoxic in vivo following topical application to the skin, eyes, and other external light-exposed epithelia. (oecd.org)

Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam – reduced sugar.

Rhubarb is not traditionally a fruit used in jam or jelly but makes itself noticed in rhubarb and strawberry pie and would be good as a strawberry rhubarb jam too. The combination is tangy and the color of the strawberries and rhubarb blend together beautifully.

Blueberries are a low acid fruit that is also beneficial for health. They are typically used in jam, but extra lemon or lime juice is recommended with the low sugar, calcium set, pectin that I used. Rhubarb is acidic and tart. The more alkaline blueberries helped balance the tanginess of the rhubarb and it jelled nicely. The rhubarb helped balance the bulkiness of blueberry skins in a low sugar all blueberry jam.

The following was a double batch, based on the directions given with the pectin. A recipe using rhubarb was not included in the box of Pomona’s Universal Pectin but their website has several variations that do call for some additional lemon juice. My version tastes good and jelled without additional lemon juice. *Less sugar or none could also be used with the Pomona’s Universal Pectin method. Calcium dissolved in water is added to help the jelly set. The sugar concentration helps it gel compared to sugar free.

  • Pomona’s Universal Pectin home page: [pomonapectin] Recipe pdf: [pomonapectin] The pectin is derived from citrus peel and its gelling power is activated by calcium rather than sugar. Sugar free jams and jellies or low sugar varieties can be made more easily with this type of pectin than with standard pectin. Traditional jelly recipes may use 7 cups of sugar per 4 cups of fruit.

Blueberry Rhubarb Jam (double batch)

4 cups blueberries
6 cups chopped rhubarb (this measurement was the raw product – 4 cups mashed/cooked was needed)
1 cup cane syrup *
2 cups powdered sugar *
(* cleaning out my cupboard – swap 2-3 cups regular sugar)
2 teaspoons calcium water mixture – follow jelly package directions.

Cook for about 10 minutes or until the rhubarb is softened.

1 cup white sugar – mixed with:
4 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin

Add the pectin/sugar mixture to the boiling fruit while stirring. Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes and then remove from the heat and ladle into sterilized jelly jars for canning.

Low sugar jams and jellies should not be preserved with the melted wax seal method. Sugar itself acts as a preservative when it is in greater concentration than other nutrients. The lower sugar jams and jellies should be sealed by pressure canning or stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Watch for mold on the surface.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use. It is not intended to provide individual guidance. Please seek a health care provider for individualized health care guidance.

Reference List

(Huang, et al, 2007) Huang Q, Lu G, Shen HM, Chung MC, Ong CN. Anti-cancer properties of anthraquinones from rhubarb. Med Res Rev. 2007 Sep;27(5):609-30. doi: 10.1002/med.20094. PMID: 17022020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17022020/

(Xiang, et al, 2020) Xiang H, Zuo J, Guo F, Dong D. What we already know about rhubarb: a comprehensive review. Chin Med. 2020 Aug 26;15:88. doi: 10.1186/s13020-020-00370-6. PMID: 32863857; PMCID: PMC7448319. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7448319/