Once again, thanks to
Stephanie Seneff for the following:
Is It Zika Virus or Glyphosate Exposure ?
by Jeffrey Dach MD
The news
media has been reporting the Zika virus as the cause of microcephaly.
The story originated in a Monsanto chemical industry press release
dated Feb 17, 2016 which was then copied over the news media. The Zika
virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947, and there have been no reports
of microcephaly in Uganda. A US news article says, according to
Associated Press journalists who visited the Zika Forest in Uganda on
Feb 1, 2016, local officials have no concern about the Zika virus.(24)
New England Journal Reports
A recent study published
in the New England Journal of Medicine reported Zika Virus surveillance
in Colombia.(80-81) Of 50 babies reported with microcephaly, only four
(8 %) had laboratory evidence of congenital Zika virus infection on
RT-PCR. The other 46 cases (92 %) were due to other causes.
Of 1850 pregnant women reported infected with Zika virus, no babies were born with microcephaly. The authors state: (80-81)
“maternal infection with the
Zika virus during the third trimester of pregnancy is not linked to
structural abnormalities in the fetus.”
Since 92% of
microcephaly babies are not caused by maternal Zika virus, perhaps we
should be looking for other preventable causes.
Dr Yaneer Bar-Yam reviewed this same data from the Colombia surveillance study After reviewing this data, Dr Yaneer Bar-Yam concluded in his own report entitled: “Is Zika the cause of Microcephaly?” that there is no direct link between zika virus and microcephaly, and he proposed pesticide exposure (pyriproxyfen) in the drinking water as an alternative explanation(99):
“This (data) would seem to rule out Zika as a cause of microcephaly. This gives a consistent interpretation that there is no direct link between Zika and microcephaly except for random co-occurrence.”….”An alternative cause of microcephaly in Brazil could be the pesticide pyriproxyfen, which is cross-reactive with retinoic acid, which causes microcephaly, and is being used in drinking water.”(99)
Dr Tiago Baptista Questions ZIka as Sole Cause of Microcephaly
Maternal viral infection with rubella or cytomegalovirus have been
known to cause fetal malformation and fetal demise. There is no doubt
that viral illness during pregnancy is best avoided.(47-55) However, Dr
Tiago Baptista in a 2016 BMJ article questions “whether the surge in reported cases of microcephaly is entirely due to Zika virus infection“(55) He says:
“The risk of microcephaly after maternal infection is estimated at roughly one in 100 women… This is a relatively low risk compared with other causal infections such as cytomegalovirus.”(55)
A Distraction From the Real Cause- Exposure to Glyphosate Causes Microcephaly and other Congenital Anomalies
I suggest
that the Zika virus is merely a distraction away from the real cause,
agrichemical exposure from Monsanto’s Round-Up Herbicide, glyphosate, (1-4) Header image: Microcephaly (small head size) in newborn dated Jan. 30, 2016 in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. courtesy of AP Photo/Felipe Dana (11)
Dr
Alejandra Paganelli reported in 2010 that “Glyphosate-based herbicides
produce teratogenic effects on vertebrates by impairing retinoic acid
signaling.” (8)
Left image: baby born with microcephaly. News media blames the Zika Virus courtesy of BBC News.
Dr Paganelli concludes: “(congenital malformations) “produced by
Glyphosate Based Herbicides are mainly a consequence of the increase of
endogenous retinoid activity. ” (8)
Dr Sylvia Lopez
In
2012, Dr Silvia L. Lopez reviewed the effects of agricultural
chemicals, glyphosate based herbicides, in human and animal models.(9)
She says:
“It is very well known that acute or chronic increase of retinoic
acid (RA) levels leads to teratogenic effects during human pregnancy
and in experimental models. The characteristic features displayed by
Retinoic Acid embryopathy in humans include brain abnormalities such as
microcephaly, microphtalmia, and impairment of hindbrain development;
abnormal external and middle ears (microtia or anotia), mandibular and
midfacial underdevelopment, and cleft palate.” (9) Note: Retinoic Acid
is Vitamin A Derivative.
Upper Left image: Agricultural Worker spraying field with glyphosate courtesy of Indiana Public Media.
Dr Benitez-Leite
Dr
Benitez-Leite reported 52 cases of malformations in babies born of
women exposed to agricultural chemicals. The congenital malformations
observed include anencephaly, microcephaly, facial defects,
myelomeningocele, cleft palate, ear malformations, polydactily,
syndactily all consistent with the well-known and expected syndrome
caused by upregulation of the Retinoic Acid pathway.(10) Left image Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide contains glyphosate.
Upregulation of Retinoic Acid Pathway
A number of reports have linked arial spraying with the mosquito larvicide pyriproxyfen
to birth defects such as microcephaly in the crop sprayed towns of
Northeast Brazil.(106-108) Pyriproxyfen disrupts retinoic acid
(vitramin A) signalling, a known mechanism for microcephaly (106-108) In 1995, Dr Kenneth Rothman reported in NEJM that High Vitamin A Intake causes birth defects. (109)
Increasing Anencephaly in Yakima Valley in Washington State
Another mechanism is glyphosate disruption of folate metabolsm as discussed below in the Yakima Washington State case. (35-37)
Over three years from 2010 to 2013, the Washington State Department of Health reported an unusual increase in anencephalic babies born in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties, four times higher than the national average. (33-34)
Anencephaply, microcephaly and spina bifida are all related disorders of neural tube closure associated with maternal folate deficiency. Maternal folate supplementation is
preventive. Maternal folate supplementation in Yakima was not at
issue, as this was similar to the national average. Barbara Peterson, in
Farm Wars, makes a compelling case for
glyphosate exposure as the cause, since the Yakima river running
through the affected counties had been heavily treated with glyphosate
for weed control during that time period.(29) Left image Yakima River Washington State.
Glyphosate Disrupts Folate Metabolism
Glyphosate disruption of folate metabolism is discussed by Stephanie Seneff in her May 2016 article
on Weston Price.(35) Glyphosate acts as an antibiotic, killing
friendly bacteria by blocking the Shikimate pathway. These friendly
bacterial are also involved in bacterial conversion of folic acid to
methyl folate, its active form. Maternal methylfolate deficiency is
associated with neural tube defects in the developing embryo.(85-87)
Glyphosate Disrupts Glycine Metabolism
Stephanie Se
neff’s
article then discusses how glyphosate disrupts glycine decarboxylase
metabolism, known to cause neural tube defects in animal studies and
humans.(36-37)
Glyphosate is the amino acid glycine with an added phosphate group,
so glyphosate may readily displace glycine in various biochemical
reactions. Glyphosate disrupts glycine decarboxylase by displacing
glycine as a substrate. In addition, glyphosate replaces glycine at
insertion sites in amino acid chains during protein synthesis, producing
defective enzymes (35). Glyphosate is basically the amino acid, glycine
with a phosphate group added on to it.see chemical structure upper left image courtesy of ResarchGate.
Glyphosate is a Patented Antimicrobial, Anti-Folate Drug
Glyphosate is actually patented as an anti-microbial drug. (83,84)
Glyphosate serves as an anti-folate agent working in synergy with other
anti-folate drugs.(58,61) Other anti-folate drugs in common use include
the urinary tract antibiotic, Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole)
the rheumatology drug, methotrexate, and the anti-seizure drug Dilantin
(phentoin). Maternal exposure to anti-folate drugs such as
methotrexate Bactrim and Dilantin increase risk of neural tube defects
in the fetus up to six-fold. (85-87) Maternal folate
supplementation has been shown to reduce incidence of fetal neural tube
defects (NTD), and folic acid fortification in food supply was mandated
in 1998. (85-87)(100-103)
Glyphosate Inhibits the Shikimate Pathway
Glyphosate’s known mode of action is inhibition of the shikimate pathway in plants, fungi, bacteria and parasites.(58) Glyphosate blocks the pathway which produces Folate, Ubiquinone (Co-Q10), Vitamin K, and the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine.
Below image: Moms Across America Billboard Requesting Freedom from GMOs and Toxins. Courtesy of Organic Authority.
Government Regulators Deemed Glyphosate Safe for Humans
Government regulators deemed glyphosate safe for us humans because we
lack the shikimate pathway. They forgot to consider that we humans
depend on the shikimate pathway in plants and gut bacteria for our folate (vitamin B9),
to prevents neural tube defects. If your lunch salad comes from an
agricultural field treated with glyphosate which blocks the plant’s
ability to synthesize folate, how much folate are you getting in your
meal ? If you are ingesting glyphosate in your food, blocking your gut
bacteria from synthesing folate, how soon will you be rendered folate
deficient? Dr Bekaert says in 2008,
“Humans cannot synthesize folates (vitamin B9) and thus have to rely on plant food supplying these essential vitamins.“(104)
Dr Craig Roberts suggests that Glyphosate may serve as anti-folate, anti-parasitic drug ,He says:(58)
” it is likely that the shikimate pathway is important for supply of folate precursors in this parasite….inhibitors of EPSP synthase (such as glyphosate) can act in synergy with conventional antifolates and may be a useful addition to the agents used against apicomplexan parasites.”(58)
A quote from a University of Chicago Press Release 1998 (61) explains that Glyphosate blocks production of folate: “Effective new ways to inhibit parasites that cause malaria, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidiosis” June 25, 1998.(61)
“Dr. McLeod’s team showed that glyphosate, …could block the production of folate, inhibiting parasite growth and survival.
Glyphosate proved effective against malaria strains that were resistant
to an anti-malarial medicine, pyrimethamine, which interrupts folate
processing at a different point. To confirm the finding, they
demonstrated that these folate-starved parasites could be rescued, in the test tube, by giving them folate.”(61)
Brazil Annual Pesticide Sales Surpasses the US
Left Image courtesy of Reuters. Brazil sales of herbicide (glyphosate) exceeds that of US.(81)
According to Paulo Prada in her 2015 article, Brazil has a huge appetite for pesticides and herbicides, surpassing annual sales in the US.(81)
Poalo Prado explains that in Northeast Brazil, irrigation canals were
built, transforming previously arid land into fertile farm land.
These open air irrigation canals are heavily contaminated with
herbicides and pesticides liberally applied to the crop fields. Life is
primitive for the agricultural workers who live without piped in water
for their dwellings. The local workers use the open air irrigation
canals for their drinking water, thus are heavily exposed to herbicide
and pesticide runoff.
Above
image open air irrigation canals in Brazil are source of drinking water
for agricultural workers. These waterways are heavily contaminated with
pesticide and herbicide runoff sprayed on nearby agricultural fields.
Courtesy of Reuters. Fateful Harvest.
House Passes 1.1 Billion Zika Virus Bill. Methyl-Folate is Cheaper.
Instead of spending 1.1 Billion dollars on a “controversial” Zika Virus Bill,
I have a better idea for prevention of microcephaly and neural tube
defects. (90) Suppose we instead allocate 100 million dollars to give
out free methyl-folate
tablets to all pregnant women exposed to glyphosate here in the US, and
in Brazil. That would solve the problem at a fraction of the cost,
saving a Billion Dollars.(90)
53 Countries Have Mandatory Flour Fortification with Folate
Folate fortification of flour for prevention of neural tube defects
(anencephaly, microcephaly, spina bifida etc.) is mandated in 53
countries. Fortification of flour with folic acid was mandated in
the US in 1998, the most successful public health measure in history,
with reduction of neural tube defects by 36%.(100-103) In 2009, Dr
Oakley declared this success story a “modern miracle of epidemiology”.(103)
Study Blood Folate Levels in North East Brazil
Why not allocate research funds to study blood folate levels in women
in Northeast Brazil at high risk for having babies with neural tube
defects? This was done here in the US before and after starting folate
fortification in 1998, showing reduction incidence of neural tube
defects by 36%.(101) Folate deficiency (blood folate levels less than 3
ng/ml)) decreased from 21% to less than 1% of the population. (101)
In Australia, mandatory fortification of bread with folate and iodine
was introduced in 2009, resulting in a 50-80 per cent reduction in
neural tube defects in at-risk indigenous women and teenagers.(100-112)
Reducing Microcephaly in Brazil with Folate Fortification
Studies done in Brazil shows folate deficiency is severe, affecting
94% among the poor.(113) Folate fortification of flour in three south
American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Chile) resulted in significant
reduction in 52 different fetal anomalies including reduction in
microcephaly and anencephaly.(114) Currently all South American
countries except Venezuala have mandatory folate fortification
legislation.(115) In populations using folate fortification there have
been decreases in neural tube defects from 30-50%.(115)
How is Such an Error Possible ?
You
might ask the obvious question, “how is such an error in thinking
possible” that the government would waste a billion dollars on Zika
instead of Folate Fortification? This is called CrimeStop or “Protective Stupidity“, aptly described in 1984 by George Orwell (91):
“The mind should develop a blind spot whenever a dangerous thought presented itself….Crimestop,
they called it in Newspeak….the Party says the earth is flat’, ‘the
party says that ice is heavier than water’—and trained himself in not seeing or not understanding the arguments that contradicted them.”
“Crimestop means the faculty of
stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous
thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments…”…”Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity.”(91) Above Left Image courtesy of
Jan Blomqvist – I Don’t Think About You
Using Fear and Smear Tactics to Distract Attention from Monsanto
This article
in the Huffington Post Feb 16 is typical of the Monsanto tactics to
distract attention away from Roundup glyphosate as the cause of the
birth defects in agricultural workers in Brazil; A Viral Story Links The Zika Crisis To Monsanto. Don’t Believe It.
by Anna Almendrala Senior Healthy Living Editor Huffington Post.
Anna’s piece is pure Monsanto propaganda masquerading as journalism,
don’t believe a word of it. If you trust anything Monsanto says, then I
have a bridge to sell you.
Monsanto has known for decades that Glyphosate causes birth defects, see this report: Roundup and birth defects. Is the public being kept in the dark ? by Michael Antoniou Earth Open Source June 2011
Search Google Scholar for articles with key words “microcephaly pesticide“ : you will see 2160 articles pop up.
Glyphosate is “Probably Carcinogenic to Humans”
A number of studies show glyphosate exposure doubles the incidence of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.(92) As reported in Lancet Oncology by
Dr Kathryn Guyton, on March, 2015, 17 experts from 11 countries met in
Lyon France and classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to
humans” (89)
Zika Distraction from Glyphosate – The Elephant in the Room
Certainly,
maternal viral illness with Rubella, (CMV) cytomegalovirus and Zika are
all risk factors for fetal demise, and fetal malformations, and are
best avoided.(93-95) However, the Zika Virus is a distraction from the
real cause of the problem, massive glyphosate exposure to pregnant
agricultural workers in Brazil. Glyphosate is a patented anti-folate
drug, Anti-folate drugs are known to cause microcephaly and neural tube
defects in animals and humans. Above Left image: Elephant in the Room is Glyphosate, courtesy of Stephanie Seneff PhD slide presentation.
Professor Don Huber, GMO Food and Glyphosate
Increased incidence of birth defects in the population caused by
exposure to the anti-folate agent, glyphosate is only the “tip of the
iceberg”. The adverse health consequences of GMO food and glyphosate
contamination of our food and water supply are much more extensive as
outlined in a series of articles posted on the Stephanie Seneff home page. Here is a quote from Professor Don M. Huber:(88) from his document GMO Failed Promises Flawed Science Serious Health Safety Issue
” Future historians may well look
back upon our time and write, not about how many pounds of pesticides we
did or did not apply, but about how willing we are to sacrifice our children and jeopardize future generations
for this massive experiment we call genetic engineering that is based
on failed promises and flawed science, just to benefit the bottom line
of a commercial enterprise.” Dr. Don M. Huber
Link to this article: http://wp.me/p3gFbV-3En
Jeffrey Dach MD
7450 Griffin Road Suite 190
Davie, Fl 33314
954-792-4663
There's a lot more to this piece - please be sure to go to
JeffreyDachMD to see the rest.
We are winning the battle. It's incremental, but the progression is huge.
For example, McDonalds is closing stores as fast as their FrankenFoods maim:
McDonald's enjoyed rapid U.S. expansion and dominance in the
fast-food marketplace due to its menu of affordably priced food. The
company’s Dollar Menu even proved to be recession-proof
and helped it thrive during tough economic times. While the chain
restaurant remains prominent, fast food consumers are turning to
restaurants such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Five Guys Burgers and
Fries and have shown a willingness to pay a bit more money for
better-quality food and more interesting menu options. To mitigate
financial losses created by encroaching competitors, McDonald's plans to
close underperforming locations and to open a few new stores in areas
where the company believes it can succeed.
Notice no mention of the fact that McDonalds food is SHITE.
My comment: "
McDonalds made their bed - enjoy the bedsores!"
You all know Russia has banned GMOs outright; Hungary burns off their FrankenCrops as fast as they sneak them in; Argentina is banning glyphosate...I can't keep up!
Dear readers, I will be back with more. Please feel free to comment - I only smack trolls!