Page 13 - Fall2020

Caustic Commentary

INFECTED CHICKEN dox signaling. As for the lungs, vitamin A is involved in the
Speaking of chicken, in July the USDA’s Food Safety Inspec- proliferation and maintenance of epithelial cells including
tion Service (FSIS) announced the approval of a petition those of the respiratory tract, and is a major factor regulat-
filed by the National Chicken Council “to permit chicken ing differentiation and maturation of the lung. Vitamin A
that is infected with the avian disease Leukosis to be fit for deficiency leads to “negative histologic changes within the
human consumption.” Prior to the change in rules, chicken respiratory tract [and] indicates that retinoids continue to
“carcasses found to have this disease were to be condemned play an important role in the adulthood lung.” Thus, adequate
and removed from further processing.” FSIS also approved vitamin A intake would be especially important for protec-
an industry request to increase chicken kill line speeds from tion against the lung disease called Covid-19.
“140 birds per minute to 175 birds.” That’s almost three birds
per second! At that speed, it’s hard for production workers VITAMIN A AND THE MEASLES
to confirm all the body parts are there, let alone inspect for Speaking of vitamin A, private citizens from Australia,
leukosis. One more reason to purchase your poultry directly New Zealand and the U.S. sent doses of vitamin A to Samoa
from a farmer! during a recent outbreak of measles. By December 2019,
almost five thousand cases occurred, with seventy-two
GLYPHOSATE AND ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION deaths, mostly among young children. According to Samoan
Evidence of glyphosate toxicity continues to accumulate. businessman Edwin Tamasese, who received the shipments,
Glyphosate is the herbicide in Roundup and other products “We’re having really good success, like in sixteen hours we’re
that is most used worldwide, especially on corn, soybean and having kids that are lying there looking like they’re going to
lawns. Many reported adverse effects are due to exposure at pass away, and they are weak, but then they get up and start
high doses; however, a recent study indicated that low-dose drinking, and start to eat.” Health officials recognize vitamin
exposure alters the development of the female reproductive A deficiency as a risk factor for severe cases of the childhood
tract, with consequences on fertility. Studies have demon- illness, and the WHO, UNICEF and the CDC all endorse a
strated that exposure to glyphosate alters the development two-dose vitamin A treatment to reduce the complications
and differentiation of ovarian follicles and the uterus, af- of measles. But some officials are not pleased. Scientist Ian
fecting fertility when animals are exposed before puberty Mackay of the University of Queensland said that “anti-vax
and during gestation. The main mechanism for these fright- rhetoric about vitamin A peddled on social media is ‘not
ening effects is the “modulation of estrogen receptors and correct.’” The CDC has dispatched a behavioral scientist
molecules involved in the estrogenic pathways” (Molecular to the area to help with “vaccine-related communications,”
and Cellular Endocrinology, 10 July 2020). and spokesperson Amy Rowland states that the first prior-
ity is making sure we have not healthy children but healthy
VITAMIN A AND THE LUNGS vaccine demand (thevaccinereaction.org/2019/12/vitamin-
Vitamin A deficiency “constitutes, with protein malnutrition, a-shipped-to-samoa/).
the most common nutritional disorder in the world.” So states
a review article, “Vitamin A deficiency and the lung,” pub- A NEW AND BETTER BREAST MILK?
lished in the journal Nutrients (September 2018). The authors Where have we heard that claim before? That’s exactly
noted that vitamin A is “the most multifunctional vitamin in what they said about infant formula made with powdered
the human body, as it is involved in several essential physi- skim milk, vegetable oils and refined sweeteners. Now, we
ological processes from embryogenesis to adulthood.” These learn, “A new and better breast milk alternative has arrived.”
include vision, immunity, cell differentiation and prolifera- As an added bonus this product will be “helpful for the
tion, embryological development and antioxidant function. environment as well.” So states a press release for the U.S.
Recent research indicates a role for vitamin A related to company BIOMILQ, which is artificially producing human
insulin function, lipid metabolism, energy balance and re- breast milk from cultured human mammary epithelial cells.

FALL 2020 Wise Traditions 11