An article entitled Red Alert for Humanity: Chemical Damage Can be Inherited by Offspring Through Unlimited Generations
highlights a study in which exposure to a common
fungicide caused neurological and behavioral changes that were passed on
indefinitely. I don’t consider myself much of an alarmist by nature, but the “Red
Alert” label does seem to fit. This is serious business. The article makes the
following points:
- People are being affected by chemicals to which
they were never exposed. We are a product of our ancestors' exposures, and
future generations will be affected by what we are encountering today.
- The conventional wisdom has been that damaging
effects of chemical exposures are limited to the generation that
experienced them. This is proving not to be the case.
- The transgenerational transference of the effects of chemical exposures appears to
continue indefinitely. The human genetic code is being permanently
altered.
- The study's lead researcher believes that cumulative
effects of chemical toxins may be a key contributing factor to the rise of
diseases and conditions like autism, obesity and infertility.
This study and many others link
epigenetic changes not only to health, but to behavioral effects. When gene
expression is altered by the environment, growth and activity of neurons in the
brain can also be altered. This can, in turn, affect behavior. Some of the
attributes that have been linked to epigenetic differences include impulsivity,
risk-taking, disinhibition, anxiety levels, stress response, learning, attention,
eating disorders, addiction risk, and memory. Failing to take the issue of
chemical toxicity seriously can have wide-ranging and extremely long-lasting
effects. The sirens are blaring and the red lights are flashing. Let's pay attention.
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