Background
I am so happy to know that my health decisions have been proven right. When one puts his or her trust in the Creator, who has made all thing well, then all will be well. I have written about my struggle with type 2 diabetes and heart disease on this blog. You will recall, or read here that my diabetes was triggered by taking statins when I was so ignorant about the side effects. Also, that I had two heart attacks and was scheduled to have bypass surgery, without my consent. You may also recall, or read, that I took an AMA and left the hospital without that surgery. My quest to “go back to Eden” by eating as naturally as possible, began then. The last heart attack was 2 years and 3 months ago as at writing this. I have no regrets. I am still on the road to recovery BUT I am doing far better than before. Thanks to naturalistic means of healing. This has been an exciting and sometimes difficult journey. Exciting because of the new holistic ways to health that I was discovering and sometimes difficult because of the discipline it takes to refuse to eat the things you once loved. Also difficult because I had to be cooking regular, non vegan meals for my husband. However, with the recent revelations from the drug companies, I am so happy about the decisions I made regarding my health and recovery from disease.
Healthy Scepticism?
I remember after the first heart attack, I was placed on blood thinners and ACE inhibitors. After about a year of taking them, I concluded that they could not be good for my health. I started to bruise so easily and I bled profusely after any cuts. I decided that I would prefer to die trying a natural way of living than die using medications. I remember being on a cruise, where I met a lady from my homeland. She indicated to me that she had type 2 diabetes and was taking metformin. I noted that she ate everything in sight and was not worried about a spike in her sugar levels. During a discussion, I told her how I had reduced my A1c level significantly, without drugs, and explained how I did it. She indicated that she took her metformin with meals so that she would be in control. I realized then, that some people depend on drugs because they were not disciplined enough to do the things necessary for health and healing or they were ignorant of the fact that many diseases are lifestyle diseases that can be overcome by changing how we live, especially how we eat. I read all labels before buying anything to be consumed. I look for the side effects of ingredients and if I have a difficulty pronouncing names of items on the labels, I will not buy no matter how tempting the item looks. I realize that there are many chemicals in manufactured foods and more so in medicines.
So, What is NDMA?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ” NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine) is a semi -volatile organic chemical that is formed in both industrial and natural processes.” Wikipedia says it also known as dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), and it is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)2NNO. It is one of the simplest members of a large class of N-nitrosamines. It is a volatile yellow oil. NDMA has attracted wide attention as being highly hepatotoxic and a known carcinogen in lab animals. In an information paper from the CDC, they indicated that :
When rats, mice, hamsters, and other animals ate food, drank water, or breathed air containing lower
CDC Public Health Statement
levels of NDMA for periods more than several weeks, liver cancer and lung cancer as well non-cancerous liver damage occurred. The high level short term and low level long-term exposures that caused non-cancerous liver damage and/or cancer in animals also usually resulted in internal bleeding and death. Although there are no reports of NDMA causing cancer in humans, it is reasonable to expect that exposure to NDMA by eating, drinking, or breathing could cause cancer in humans. Mice that were fed NDMA during pregnancy had offspring that were born dead or died shortly after birth.
However, it is not known whether NDMA could cause the death of human babies whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. It should be realized that exposure to NDMA does not mean that any effect on health will definitely occur.
Metformin and Cancer
Recently, there was a recall of metform, because of the level of NDMA, believed to be cancer forming in people. This same substance was also found in heart medications. I thought that this would have been a double “wammy” for me, if I were still on these medications. Here is a copy of the article on the recall from WebMd
Why is NDMA in Your Medicine?
Notice in the Metformin recall article, the FDA allows an amount of NDMA in the metformin medication. In this case, the medication has more than is allowed!. Crazy, isn’t it? More than the allowed amounts were found in:
Ranitidine, which is sold under the trade name Zantac, used to treat ulcers and acid reflux
Valsartan sold under the trade name Diovan, which is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetic kidney disease.
Metformin, marketed under the trade name Glucophage, used to treat type 2 diabetes
Who knows how much is left in your body systems after taking these medications?. It can accumulate and create further problems in your body or even lead to death as indicated in the CDC Public Health Statement. In an article from Trustwell Law Group on NDMA, they indicated that it is a dangerous cancer causing chemical that was used in the production of liquid rocket fuel. Why is this allowed in medicines?. Wikipedia, in explaining what is NDMA indicated that this can be poisonous and is highly toxic to the liver. For the diabetic, who may have liver problems, metformin will cause further deterioration of the liver.
NDMA in Your Water?
Not only is it found in medicines, but according to the article, there is concern about our drinking water
NDMA is also an unintended by-product of chlorination of drinking water and wastewater at treatment plants that use chloramines for disinfection.
Trustwell Law Group
NDMA’s contamination of drinking water is of particular concern due to the minute concentrations at which it is harmful, the difficulty in detecting it at these concentrations, and to the difficulty in removing it from drinking water. It does not readily biodegrade, adsorb, or volatilize. As such, it cannot be removed by activated carbon and travels easily through soils. Relatively high levels of UV radiation in the 200 to 260 nm range breaks the N–N bond and can thus be used to degrade NDMA. Additionally, reverse osmosis removes approximately 50% of NDMA.
Wikipedia
NDMA in Your Food?
The Technical Fact Sheet from the EPA indicates that NDMA is found in foods that contain nitrosamines such as smoked and cured meats( particularly bacon) and fish. A Public Health Statement from the CDC added beer, and cheese to the list. Note that it easily travels through soil, therefore our plants can be contaminated.
NDMA in Your Cosmetic and Cleaners?
The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat can contain NDMA. Also, the cosmetics and cleaners we use on our skin and around the house are not exempt from this contaminant! Smokers and those exposed to second hand smoke can also be affected by this contaminant.
Symptoms of Overexposure to NDMA
Exposure to this chemical can occur at the workplaces like tanneries, pesticide, tire and rubber manufacturing plants. Even baby pacifiers may be contaminated. The symptoms of over exposure may include:
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
- jaundice
- abdominal cramps
- enlarged liver
- dizziness
- reduced function of the liver, kidney and lungs
So, What to Do?
First thing to do is STOP eating those foods that can be easily contaminated with NDMA. Go vegeterian or vegan.
Second is to ask your doctor to change your diabetes medication to something else OR better still learn to control or reverse your diabetes naturally. Click here to learn how. Also, if you take high blood pressure medications, have that changed or control your blood pressure naturally, click here to learn how.
If you take anti acids, reduce acid reflux and ulcers by reducing, or better still, cutting meat, milk and other acid forming foods from your diet. Eat more fruits and vegetables and drink a cup of baking soda water first thing each morning.
You may want to invest in a water filtration system. Note in the Wikipedia document that NDMA is difficult to remove from our water. The document suggests that reverse osmosis water removes about 50% of this contaminant. Although the World Health Organization (2008) concluded that the water quality is not affected by NDMA, one cannot be sure about what is in the water . Time to explore and purchase a water system that helps to protect you. Enagic has specialized in providing in-home, alkaline water ionization technologies for more than 40 years. Kangen water has been in use all over the world . Take a serious look at Kangen Water by Enagic. Click here for more information.
I have always said, and will continue to say that no one can take care of your health better than you can. And, It is better to prevent a health catastrophe that to pay to come out of one. I know how expensive it is to pay for a heart surgery and hospital stays. To your health! Stay safe and healthy.
Look Young, Stay Fit And Heart Healthy 