The Most Dangerous Toxin that Almost No One Knows About

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The

Most Dangerous Toxin that Almost No One Knows About

by

www.SixWise.com <http://www.sixwise.com/>*

 

Most

everyone is exposed to small amounts of manganese, a naturally

occurring

substance in our air, soil, water and food, daily. If kept in

check,

the body is able to control manganese levels by expelling extra

amounts,

but if the intake becomes too great, it can become overwhelming

and

cause a variety of health problems, including permanent nervous

system

damage.

 

What

makes manganese so dangerous is that the current safety levels may

not be

adequate, so people may be taking in dangerous levels of this

compound

that almost no one is aware of.

 

Is

there a hidden danger in your shower?

 

*Nearly

9 Million Americans Exposed to Dangerous Manganese Levels*

 

According

to a study by John Spangler, M.D., an associate professor of

family

medicine, and other researchers from Wake Forest University

School

of Medicine, " Nearly 9 million people in the United States are

exposed

to manganese levels that our study shows may cause toxic effects. "

 

Exposure

can occur via many routes, drinking water, foods,

manganese-containing

pesticides, air, and more, but the researchers

found

that the most concerning source may come from something most of us

do

daily: shower.

 

The

study found that after showering 10 minutes a day for 10 years in

manganese-contaminated

water:

 

*

 

Children would be exposed to doses of

manganese three times higher

than doses that resulted in manganese

deposits in the brains of rats.

 

*

 

Adults would be exposed to doses 50

percent higher than the rats.

 

*Damage

may Occur at Levels Considered Safe by the EPA*

 

Perhaps

most concerning is that permanent damage to the nervous system

may

occur after exposure to manganese levels that the Environmental

Protection

Agency (EPA) has noted as safe.

 

According

to the EPA, 0.5 milligrams/liter is the upper limit of

manganese

in water supplies, based on odor and taste of the water.

However,

the amount of manganese accumulated by breathing in shower

vapors

has not been considered, and even at 0.5 milligrams/liter

researchers

say manganese could cause brain injury.

 

" Inhaling

manganese, rather than eating or drinking it, is far more

efficient

at delivering manganese to the brain, " Spangler said. " The

nerve

cells involved in smell are a direct pathway for toxins to enter

the

brain. Once inside these small nerves, manganese can travel

throughout

the brain. "

 

*Health

Risks of Manganese*

 

High

levels of manganese are toxic to the nervous system and can cause:

 

*

 

*Learning and coordination disabilities*

 

*

 

*Behavioral changes*

 

*

 

*Parkinson's-like disease*

 

*

 

*Permanent brain injury*

 

*

 

*Slow and clumsy body movements*

 

According

to Spangler, the elderly, pregnant women, children and people

with

liver disease are particularly susceptible to manganese toxicity,

and may

develop problems even at low doses in water supplies.

 

" If

our results are confirmed, they could have profound implications for

the

nation and the world, " Spangler said.

 

*Major

Sources of Manganese*

 

People

who work in, or live near, a factory that produces manganese

metal

are likely exposed to high levels of manganese dust in the air.

Likewise,

those living near a coal- or oil-burning factory are also

exposed

to high levels, as manganese is released into the air when

fossil

fuels are burned.

 

Manganese

is also added to some gasoline, which could pose a threat to

those

living in urban areas, working in garages or spending a lot of

time in

bus stops.

 

Further,

" The manganese, as it settles from car exhaust onto streets and

highways,

may enter the water supply, increasing manganese levels in the

water

we drink and bathe in, " said Spangler.

 

Don't

worry about naturally occurring manganese in food--toxicity from

this

source has never been documented.

 

Other

potentially risky sources include:

 

*

 

Soy infant formula: Soybean plants may

take in manganese from the

soil and concentrate it. Soy formula may

have 200 times the

manganese level found in breast milk,

which can lead to brain

damage in infants and behavioral changes

in adolescents, according

to Dr. Francis Crinella, clinical

professor of pediatrics at

UC-Irvine, and Trinh Tran, a graduate

researcher at the UC-Davis

Department of Animal Studies.

 

*

 

Wells and private water supplies (may

contain higher levels than

public water supplies)

 

*Reducing

Your Risk of Manganese Toxicity*

 

Manganese

is a necessary nutrient that should be included in your diet.

Limiting

foods that contain manganese is therefore not a good idea, as

toxicity

from manganese in foods has not been documented. Rich food

sources

of manganese include whole grains, nuts, leafy vegetables and tea.

 

If you

are concerned of your exposure to manganese via water supplies or

air,

however, it would be prudent to take precautions, including:

 

*

 

*Have your drinking and bathing water

tested for manganese levels*

 

*

 

*Invest in a water filter and shower

filter that will remove

manganese, if necessary*

 

*

 

*Try to avoid congested urban areas and

other regions with a lot

of exhaust fumes*

 

*

 

*Avoid living near or working in

manganese metal or coal-burning

factories if possible*

 

*Recommended

Reading*

 

Magnesium:

Why Your Heart is Begging You for More of This Essential

Nutrient

<http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/11/23/magnesium.htm>

 

Dangerous

Toxic Fumes from Six Everyday Products that You Most Want to

Avoid

<http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/10/26/toxins.htm>

 

------

 

*Sources*

 

Science

Blog: Shower Manganese a Public Health Threat?

<http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8322>

 

Agency

for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Manganese

<http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs151.html#bookmark03>

 

Medical

Hypotheses 2005, Volume 65, Issue 3, Pages 607-616

<

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL & _aset=V-WA-A-W-AV-MsSAYZA-UUW-U-AAWWYBDBUB-AAWUVAYAUB-WUCCUEVYA-AV-U & _rdoc=1 & _fmt=summary & _udi=B6WN2-4G7GFXM-1 & _coverDate=05%2F23%2F2005 & _cdi=6950 & _orig=search & _st=13 & _sort=d & view=c & _acct=C000050221 & _version=1 & _urlVersion=0 & _userid=10 & md5=b1d959c4f1ca1cc95e34a075bdb317e9

>

 

How

Safe is Soy Infant Formula?

<http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/13/soy_formula.htm>

 

The

Linus Pauling Institute

<http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/manganese/>

 

 

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