Irradiated Foods May Cause Serious Brain Damage
Findings in a recent scientific study show that irradiated foods may cause severe neurological damage in cats, including paralysis, visual problems, and movement disorders.
Cats fed a diet of irradiated foods suffered from degradation of myelin, a protective insulator of nerve fibers in the central nervous system ane neurons in the brain.
Loss of the myelin sheet leads to diseases such as multiple sclerosis and impairs the central nervous system. This may result in movement disorders, cognitive problems, pain, and loss of feeling.
Some of the damage in the cats was reversible when they were taken off the irradiated food diet, showing promise for people with MS leading a more normal life with dietary intervention. However, the newly developed myelin was not as thick as the original myelin.
Unfortunately, irradiated foods are increasing and are not required by law to be labeled. Many so-called fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are approved for irradiation with a dose of radiation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the claim of preventing bacteria growth and preserving freshness.
Scientists were quick to dismiss the potential for similar demyelinating in humans. "We think it is extremely unlikely that [irradiated food] could become a human health problem," Ian Duncan., a professor at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, explained.
Others cite the rise in autism, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological disorders along with many studies which show food irradiation produces known toxic and carcinogenic chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects.
Reference
Duncan ID, Brower A, Kondo Y, Curlee JF Jr, Schultz RD. Extensive remyelination of the CNS leads to functional recovery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Apr 2.
This article originally appeared in the MCS America News, June 2009 Issue http://mcs-america.org/June2009.pdf. For more articles on this topic, see: MCSA News.
Copyrighted 2009 Lourdes Salvador & MCS America

