Chemicals and Additives and Diseases, Oh My
Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010
by Grace O'Malley
It often crosses my mind that in today's society there are very few people we know (including ourselves) that have not been diagnosed with one condition or another. Whether it be a physical or mental malady or both, many doctors are treating people for problems that 50, 40 or even 10 years ago no one had ever heard of.
Granted, we now have more scientific research going on than we did in 1950, but it brings up the question were these problems around in 1950 and we just didn't know what they were, or are all these diagnosed issues new? The average life expectancy in 1950 was 67.3 years. Now it is 77.3 years. Has science helped us live longer?
Over the last half century we as a nation have begun adding more and more chemicals and additives to the growing and production of our food stuffs. From the fertilizers used to boost the growing capacity to the preservatives used to lengthen shelf life and everything in between, unnatural supplements have taken over the food industry. Our animals are injected with growth hormones, our vegetables and fruits coated with pest retardants, and our pre-packaged meals loaded down with enough inorganic materials to make you wonder if there is actually any food in the container. To make foodstuffs more affordable and there be less waste, preservation processes were introduced. Now you could grow the corn in Iowa, ship it to the processing plant in Tennessee and have it canned and on your table in Arizona without ever having to worry.
Or should we worry?
Could it be that the addition of chemicals to our drinks and foodstuffs has actually begun to alter the way our body performs? It would be grand if we could all grow our own consumables and drink fresh, naturally clean water, but we cannot. We have come to rely on super stores to provide what we need to sustain our existence because too few of us have the time, energy, ability or land to do that. Have you ever noticed the taste difference between an apple you buy at the grocery store and one picked fresh off the tree? It is amazing. Your taste buds tingle, your mouth waters and there is a fireworks display of joy going on between your lips.
Time and time again we are warned not to eat this or drink that because it could be harmful to us. Scientists have tested the results of consuming these products over the course of time and realize that if you DON'T eat/drink them, you will be better off. These are the same scientists that developed the additives/preservatives to supposedly help us live better/longer lives. If we take away all the natural things that are supposedly harmful to us, all we will have left is chemicals to consume. If these items are so harmful, why did nature provide them to begin with?
I know I have gone off track of how I began, but there is a reason for that. What if by adding all these chemicals to our diet, we are actually causing more problems? Is it possible? Probable? Once we are diagnosed with a disease/problem/issue we are given even more chemicals in the form of prescription drugs to control whatever it is we have. And as with all medications, there are side effects. Some become so severe we then develop more and more problems and must be given more and more drugs to counter the side effects. And those drugs have side effects, and on and on and on. It is a never ending cycle.
Twenty years from now I wonder if we will even need to embalm someone when they die.
Granted, we now have more scientific research going on than we did in 1950, but it brings up the question were these problems around in 1950 and we just didn't know what they were, or are all these diagnosed issues new? The average life expectancy in 1950 was 67.3 years. Now it is 77.3 years. Has science helped us live longer?
Or should we worry?
Could it be that the addition of chemicals to our drinks and foodstuffs has actually begun to alter the way our body performs? It would be grand if we could all grow our own consumables and drink fresh, naturally clean water, but we cannot. We have come to rely on super stores to provide what we need to sustain our existence because too few of us have the time, energy, ability or land to do that. Have you ever noticed the taste difference between an apple you buy at the grocery store and one picked fresh off the tree? It is amazing. Your taste buds tingle, your mouth waters and there is a fireworks display of joy going on between your lips.
Time and time again we are warned not to eat this or drink that because it could be harmful to us. Scientists have tested the results of consuming these products over the course of time and realize that if you DON'T eat/drink them, you will be better off. These are the same scientists that developed the additives/preservatives to supposedly help us live better/longer lives. If we take away all the natural things that are supposedly harmful to us, all we will have left is chemicals to consume. If these items are so harmful, why did nature provide them to begin with?
I know I have gone off track of how I began, but there is a reason for that. What if by adding all these chemicals to our diet, we are actually causing more problems? Is it possible? Probable? Once we are diagnosed with a disease/problem/issue we are given even more chemicals in the form of prescription drugs to control whatever it is we have. And as with all medications, there are side effects. Some become so severe we then develop more and more problems and must be given more and more drugs to counter the side effects. And those drugs have side effects, and on and on and on. It is a never ending cycle.
Twenty years from now I wonder if we will even need to embalm someone when they die.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)I think prescription drugs are poison, Grace, and the whole industry isn't about people's health, it's about other people's money and greed. It's a jungle out there. Or is it a circus?Oh it's a jungle full of circuses! :) You're right, it's about money and greed Jennifer. All about how they can make more, more and more. We're the real guinea pigs.Grace
Hi Grace.Well what do you know. Here is another one right up my ally. At least from the title. I had better read on before making a fool of myself, though. :)Okay, I've only made it through the first paragraph and I have to start commenting. I think one of the causes of new maladies and diagnoses of these is that drug companies are always trying to come up with new drugs in order to make more money. Sometimes they develop one that treats a minor annoyance for a small part of the population. Then they give it some ponderous and dire sounding name and try to convince those that do not even have this problem that they do indeed have it and need their drug. Cynical? Yes. True? Probably.I know someone whose husband hunts and they eat no other meat but what he kills. This is mainly because she does not want her children growing up on growth hormones and antibiotics. And you are right, nothing compares to homegrown fruits and vegetables. You are also right that it takes a lot of time, which most of us do not have, to grow our own.This whole issue of chemicals (not just the ingested kind) in our lives is one that has concerned me for many years now. I am on of those people that can be labeled as multiply chemically sensitive (MCS). I know for an absolute fact that all these chemicals are not good for us. Getting the word out and getting anyone to listen is the hard part. To eliminate them from your life takes a lot of work and even then you can not eliminate all of them. But to my way of thinking, anything you do on that account will benefit you in the long run and quite possibly all of the earth.Goodness! You've really gotten me going this morning. :) I guess all we can do is to continue to talk about it. Eventually, word will get around and things will start to change for the better.Another great job!Hugs,DianneYour having MCS is exactly the kind of thing that needn't be happening Dianne. Quick, fast and cheap has given manufacturers free reign to destroy what nature provides. Our bodies adapt to the change but is the change good?Hehe, I'm glad to see I had you thinking the other day. Hope to catch up on yours soon now that our internet is working again.Grace
That's cute! Kind of like, if you take a drug that grows naturally, you will go to prison for 50 years. But if you go to the doctor and spend a couple hundred dollars, he'll write you as many prescriptions as he can, so you can go spend another couple hundred dollars for the medications, 1/4 of which goes to Uncle Sam in the form of taxes, and everything is good. Go figure.Exactly! It makes no sense! Good to see your face and receive a comment from you David.Grace
Hey Grace! You took the words right out of my mouth! One reason why people didn't live as long way back in the day is that they salted foods to preserve them... which obviously can't be good for your heart and blood pressure. Now, the preservatives they use today... I was thinking the same thing you were in that I doubt we will need to embalm people in the future when they die, way too many chemicals in our diet. If you go see a psychologist, he/she may talk to you for 45 min. If you go see a psychiatrist, he/she may see you for 20 min and then prescribe meds. I am typically against meds and rarely even take Tylenol or temporary pain relievers. I think when we get hurt, pain is a good thing, because it is a natural response. If we spend our whole lives masking the pain, then our tolerance is super low. I try to eat all natural foods... there are some stores out there that aren't too expensive but have products without all the junk in them. Look for those stores! Good article! Thanks! -BrombergI'm sure salt and lifestyles did have a huge impact on life expectancies. Doctors prescribing here and there to mask and not cure the problems are a horrible way to exist. And what percentage of people then have more problems because of those drugs? You are lucky to have stores that offer alternatives that you can afford. I wish there was more availability for the masses. Maybe obesity would not be such an issue any longer.Grace
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