Health Matters

I find this may be intersting as it seems to be affecting many males, and I suspect similar with females..maybe with balance, amounts of oestrogen/ progesterone/ testosterone/ cortisol ie. the many hormones in this group in general.

I suspect these phthalates are only part of a picture of chemicals, which together are causing a decrease in "general well being": the slightly wiped fatigue and depressive symptoms as well as obesity - insulin resistance.

Obesity in Men Linked to Testosterone-Lowering Chemical
Breaking News http://www.vrp.com/art/2058.asp

A new study by University of Rochester researchers has linked exposure to a common chemical found in plastics and soaps to insulin resistance and obesity in men.

Previous studies have found that exposure to phthalates—found in cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, lotions, lubricants, paint, pesticides, plastics and in the coating of some timed-release medicines—may be associated with reproductive problems. More than 75 percent of the United States population is thought to have measurable levels of several phthalates in their urine.

Researchers have theorized that this class of chemicals, as well as other environmental pollutants, may be lowering testosterone levels in men and may be responsible for the substantial declines in testosterone levels and sperm quality that have occurred in the United States and other countries over the last several decades. Animal studies have demonstrated that phthalates lower testosterone levels and recent human data has found that phthalates are associated with poor semen quality in men and subtle changes in the reproductive organs in male children.

Researchers of the current study decided to investigate the effect of this class of chemicals on obesity after noting that low testosterone appears to cause increased abdominal fat and pre-diabetes in men. Consequently, if phthalates cause a decrease in testosterone, they theorized, then it could also play a role in weight gain and insulin resistance. The scientists analyzed urine, blood samples and other data from subjects participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a large, multi-ethnic, cross-sectional sampling of the U.S. population conducted routinely by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study authors examined data from 1999 to 2002, the most recent years that phthalates levels were available. Of the adult men participating in NHANES, 1,451 had data on phthalate exposures, obesity and waist circumference. Of these subjects, 651 also had fasting glucose and insulin levels available.

After adjusting for confounding factors, the researchers discovered that there was a definite link between levels of several phthalate metabolites and abdominal obesity. Men who had the highest phthalate levels in their urine had more belly fat and a greater prevalence of insulin resistance compared to subjects with lower levels.

Reference:
University of Rochester Medical Center news release. Accessed online March 14, 2007

http://www.uwosteoporosis.org/

http://www.uwosteoporosis.org/asbmrvitD06.htm

navigate to the last BONES (2006) meeting page and pick up the pdf file entitled (in blue) :-

[ht]then tp://www.uwosteoporosis.org/Pdf land/Posters copy/Vit d 2006/ {{is vitamin d inportant.pdf}}

Is Vitamin D Important for Preserving Cognition?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17258168&query_hl=21&itool=pubmed_docsum

now online ahead of pubn
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003-9861(06)00509-1

and this one is similar
http://ajgponline.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/12/1032
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Low Mood and Worse Cognitive Performance in Older Adults

Bob

Try Sardines or anchovies?

for the DMAE

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/L/lipofuscin.html

A pale yellow-brown pigment, made of free-radical-damaged protein and fat, which stains red with Sudan black and is PAS-positive. Lipofuscin granules accumulate in the cytoplasm of muscle and nerve cells, acting as a marker of wear and tear. They concentrate beneath the skin (forming so-called age spots or liver spots), in the muscles including the heart, and in the liver and other vital organs. Lipofuscin is particularly troublesome in brain tissue where it accumulates over a lifetime. In the brain, when the lipofuscin finally reaches a critical level in a neuron, the neuron dies. Lipofuscin builds up normally with age or pathologically in certain conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, parkinsonism, and certain lysosomal diseases.

Age Spots

One of the most dramatic and well-documented effects of DMAE is its ability to inhibit the formation of aging pigment (lipofuscin)—the brownish pigment that causes “liver spots” (lentigo) on the backs of the hands of many people over 50 years of age.

DMAE not only can prevent the formation of lipofuscin, but it also actually flushes it from the body.
Many people gauge the rate of lipofuscin removal from their hearts and brains by watching their “liver spots” disappear with long-term supplementation of DMAE. It usually takes about six months for significant changes to take place—with many spots resolving completely.
from http://www.vrp.com/art/2045.asp?thenews=vn00a000b00307-2045
scroll down to
DMAE and Cognitive Enhancement

DMAE is important to include in a list of cognitive-enhancing substances. Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) is a naturally-occurring, mild cerebral stimulant nutrient found in such “brain” foods as anchovies and sardines.

DMAE influences acetylcholine metabolism (Fig. 1). It has long been known to stimulate the production of choline, which in turn allows the brain to optimize production of acetylcholine.7-9 However, Professor Imre Zs.-Nagy believes that enhanced acetylcholine is not the only explanation for DMAE’s effect, since he believes that a choline-rich diet alone should have the same acetylcholine-increasing effect, which he believes is not the case. Zs.-Nagy proposes that other mechanisms of DMAE include its being a free radical scavenger (with particular ability to protect cellular membranes); cross-linkage inhibitor; and spin trapper (a type of free radical scavenger).10 In addition, Dr. Richard Hochschild proposed that DMAE’s principal anti-aging mechanism is that of acting as a “cell membrane fluidizer.”

also should help with concentration, a pick up for fatigue,
brain and heart function
(read link for more detail)