Dr. Mercola's Comments: Last fall, contributing editor Dr. Russell Blaylock penned a stunning, multi-part series on the results of a secret meeting between the CDC and scientists in 2000 to discuss, debate and ultimately defend the use of thimerosal in vaccines. In a follow-up, Dr. Blaylock reviews a new report that sanitizes the use of mercury in dental amalgams, based on disregarding information on a whim that doesn't fit a predetermined solution and "creating" experts expressly to build a case for a deadly element to which no one in his or her right mind would want to be exposed. I urge you to review the various research and papers I have posted on my site regarding the issue, particularly if you are experiencing any of these symptoms: Fatigue Irritability Feeling "foggy-headed" By Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. Pick the Most Vulnerable Group/Imply Safety I see this tactic being used here and in vaccine studies. In both cases, the scientific elites used studies on babies or pregnant animals as instances of implied safety. For example, they cite studies showing behavioral deficits in offspring of mothers exposed to high levels of mercury vapor, but then state studies of the effects of lower levels do not exist, giving the impression that lower-levels of mercury are safe. If this were true, then you would think in a situation in which any damage produced in these exposed babies would be irreversible, one would opt for safety. But, not these "experts." Instead, they conclude we should continue to expose these babies to potentially devastating risks without any benefits. As far back as 1972, careful studies demonstrated mercury levels in the fetuses of pregnant rats exposed to elemental mercury vapor (Hg0) were 10- to 40-times higher than in animals exposed to equivalent doses of inorganic mercury (Hg 2+), meaning elemental mercury easily passes through the placenta and into the baby. (9) At least two studies have shown elemental mercury accumulation within the fetus increases with time during gestation, so that the levels of mercury in the fetal organs are significantly higher toward the end of the pregnancy than during early pregnancy. (10,11) In fact, it is now confirmed that mercury levels in the brain reach even higher levels following birth, despite the end of exposure to the mother's mercury. This is thought to be due to redistribution of the mercury from the fetus' liver to its brain. This transfer of mercury from mother to child has been confirmed in at least two human studies as well, so it is not peculiar to animals. (12,13) Another case involved a female surgeon exposed to 0.05mg/M3 mercury vapor at work who bore a baby with severe brain damage. The baby's blood mercury was shown to be elevated. This dose of mercury can come from a pregnant mother who has a large number of dental amalgam fillings, chews gum and is exposed to hot food and drinks. (The Executive Summary considers a low dose of mercury half this value: 0.025mg/M3.) Studies by Dr. Haley and his peers have shown brushing teeth filled with amalgams can increase mercury vapor levels to 4.5 mg/M3, substantially higher than the levels claimed by the Executive Summary. It is important to appreciate mothers with amalgam fillings will be exposed to these levels of mercury vapor throughout their pregnancy and during breast-feeding. Mercury vapor easily enters breast milk. A careful study done by Morgan and his peers, using pregnant rats exposed to mercury vapor, found, because of the short distance to the brain, most of the mercury remained in its elemental, highly absorbable form, thus it easily enters the fetus' brain. (11) Yet, once in the brain it is converted by the enzyme catalase into the ionic form (Hg2+), which binds to cellular components (sulfhydral units) making it very difficult to remove from the brain. They also found the concentration of the elemental mercury increased significantly in the uterus and placenta throughout the pregnancy. Because of the extreme toxicity of elemental mercury, this can interfere with normal functions of the uterus and placenta (an extremely metabolic organ and critical to fetal health and development). Of special importance is the observation that mercury in the brain tends to accumulate mostly in astrocytes and microglia, cells critical for brain immunity. A recent study lends even more importance to this observation: In 11 autopsied brains from individuals who had autism, all demonstrated diffuse, chronic activation of microglia and astrocytes, the exact effect of elevated brain mercury levels. (14) Ironically, chronic microglial activation has also been described in all of the neurodegenerative diseases, as well as multiple sclerosis. False Comparisons/Ignore Critical Data Under the "conclusions" section, the authors of the Executive Summary admit mercury vapor is released from dental amalgam restorations (fillings) and absorbed by the human body. To cover their main lie -- that mercury amalgams are safe -- they point out, in their review of the studies, 95 percent of the urine mercury levels were below World Health Organization estimates of toxicity in 1996. This was to convince the media and the public that these were safe levels. What was ignored, among many things, was the fact that mercury is fat-soluble. This is important because the brain contains 60 percent fats and, therefore, accumulates mercury over time, so that even small daily doses gradually become larger concentrations. Even distribution in the brain varies. Studies have shown that the hippocampus (critical for memory) is one of the areas preferentially accumulating mercury. The cerebellum and occipital lobes of the brain also accumulate mercury in higher concentrations. The cerebellum is one of the areas most frequently damaged in autism. Mercury accumulates in higher levels in the nuclei (clusters of neurons in the cerebellum), leading to a loss of critical neurons. (15) There is also evidence methylmercury enhances the toxicity of elemental mercury. There also appears to be a sex difference in mercury brain absorption, with females being more susceptible. If All Else Fails... Protection of the brain by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the favorite claim for the unscrupulous to fall back on. This was used by the defenders of MSG safety, until I proved that tens of millions of people had conditions that impaired the function of their BBB, including the following: Hypertension Diabetes Head injury Strokes Taking certain drugs Bad reactions to pesticides, herbicides and MSG itself Immune overstimulation (vaccines and autoimmune diseases) Brain tumors Alzheimer's disease Parkinson's disease Aging In addition, critical parts of the brain have no BBB protection (circumventricular organs). Not only can elemental mercury enter under these conditions, but it also has a special mechanism to sneak into the brain. Mercury vapor, when absorbed by the lining of the mouth and nasal cavities, is taken up by the terminal filaments of the trigeminal nerves and olfactory nerves, respectively. Then, it travels along the nerve axons to the olfactory bulb underneath the brain and trigeminal ganglion. (16) Pathways connect this bulb to several critical areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and entorhinal area. Mercury has been shown to travel into the brain when absorbed through the nasal passages. In fact, a number of metals, chemicals, neurotransmitters, toxins and even untrafine particles have been shown to travel by way of the olfactory nerves into the brain, leading to injury in critical areas of the brain. Dental amalgam fillings are constantly releasing mercury vapor and 80 percent of this elemental mercury is absorbed into the tissues of the mouth. (As stated, chewing and drinking hot foods and liquids greatly increase the release of mercury vapor. Even this present study recognized that you have your amalgam filling with you 24 hours a day, which can make the danger even greater than some cases of industrial exposure.) Should WebMD be called "QuackMD"? So-called "orthodox medicine" likes to imply that traditional medical practice is based on hard scientific evidence, which they tout as "evidence-based medicine" and that everything outside their control is unscientific. However, several studies have shown at least 80 percent or more of standard medical practices have no scientific basis whatsoever. WebMD posted their take on this study on their Web site, implying it was definitive and based on hard science by the best experts in the world. Ironically, they had Cynthia Trajtenberg, a professor of restorative dentistry and dental biomaterials at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, add her "idiotic" commentary. She resorts to the ADA's standby nonsense, which they used to brainwash their dental members more than a half-century ago. It goes like this: You can think of it like chloride, which alone is a serious toxin, but when bound with sodium it becomes harmless salt. She goes on to say, "It's the same with mercury. Mercury in dental fillings is combined with silver and copper, and is transformed into a stable metal material that is not easily released into the oral cavity. Therefore, it is not harmful." This laughable nonsense is not even endorsed by the report, which clearly says mercury vapor easily escapes the filling and is absorbed into the blood by way of the tissues of the mouth and lungs. She obviously slept through her chemistry courses. Sodium chloride is a compound, bound by strong bonds. An amalgam is a mixture of metals not in an ionic state. Metallic mercury has a very low evaporation temperature and readily turns into a vapor. This truly is hard science. Why would WebMD, which professes to be "evidence-based," print such obvious idiocy easily exposed by even a freshmen in high school? Could it be that they are prejudiced against the idea of amalgam toxicity? Or perhaps, could it be the editors have friends in the dental community who asked for their help against "charlatans" in alternative medicine? It is obvious there is little here in the way of "hard science." Conclusions This is just another piece of "junk science" to come out of the government/industry coalition. An avalanche of such phony studies have come from some prestigious institutions, like the Institute of Medicine, Health and Human Services, CDC, Life Sciences Research Office and FDA. By cleverly restricting the information (scientific research), excluding real experts in the area in question and by forcefully implying clear-cut conclusions where none exist, they deceive the media and public. In all of these studies, they provide the media with an Executive Summary, which often has conclusions that present the opposite of what was shown in the body of the report, knowing the media are often too lazy or not sophisticated enough to understand the subtleties of the science being discussed. As a result, the public is assured dental amalgams are perfectly safe and that question has been carefully examined by some of the best scientific minds in the world in every way it could be done. In essence, the issue is closed. How many times do we have to face a medical disaster resulting from this errant thinking before we learn? While I have analyzed only the Executive Summary and not the body of the report, this Executive Summary is what will reach the public. The LSRO is charging $75 for the report itself, if you include the references. This is outrageous for a study funded by taxpayer monies, and printed on a computer. Then again, they hope none of their critics will ever read the report. << Previous [ Part 1, Part 2 ] References Related Articles: How "Modern Medicine" Killed My Brother The Truth Behind the Vaccine Coverup A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule Mercury On the Mind Flu Vaccines for Children Still Contain Mercury The Beginning of the End for Amalgams in the US
Last fall, contributing editor Dr. Russell Blaylock penned a stunning, multi-part series on the results of a secret meeting between the CDC and scientists in 2000 to discuss, debate and ultimately defend the use of thimerosal in vaccines.
In a follow-up, Dr. Blaylock reviews a new report that sanitizes the use of mercury in dental amalgams, based on disregarding information on a whim that doesn't fit a predetermined solution and "creating" experts expressly to build a case for a deadly element to which no one in his or her right mind would want to be exposed.
I urge you to review the various research and papers I have posted on my site regarding the issue, particularly if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:
By Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
Pick the Most Vulnerable Group/Imply Safety
I see this tactic being used here and in vaccine studies. In both cases, the scientific elites used studies on babies or pregnant animals as instances of implied safety. For example, they cite studies showing behavioral deficits in offspring of mothers exposed to high levels of mercury vapor, but then state studies of the effects of lower levels do not exist, giving the impression that lower-levels of mercury are safe.
If this were true, then you would think in a situation in which any damage produced in these exposed babies would be irreversible, one would opt for safety. But, not these "experts." Instead, they conclude we should continue to expose these babies to potentially devastating risks without any benefits.
As far back as 1972, careful studies demonstrated mercury levels in the fetuses of pregnant rats exposed to elemental mercury vapor (Hg0) were 10- to 40-times higher than in animals exposed to equivalent doses of inorganic mercury (Hg 2+), meaning elemental mercury easily passes through the placenta and into the baby. (9)
At least two studies have shown elemental mercury accumulation within the fetus increases with time during gestation, so that the levels of mercury in the fetal organs are significantly higher toward the end of the pregnancy than during early pregnancy. (10,11) In fact, it is now confirmed that mercury levels in the brain reach even higher levels following birth, despite the end of exposure to the mother's mercury. This is thought to be due to redistribution of the mercury from the fetus' liver to its brain.
This transfer of mercury from mother to child has been confirmed in at least two human studies as well, so it is not peculiar to animals. (12,13) Another case involved a female surgeon exposed to 0.05mg/M3 mercury vapor at work who bore a baby with severe brain damage. The baby's blood mercury was shown to be elevated.
This dose of mercury can come from a pregnant mother who has a large number of dental amalgam fillings, chews gum and is exposed to hot food and drinks. (The Executive Summary considers a low dose of mercury half this value: 0.025mg/M3.)
Studies by Dr. Haley and his peers have shown brushing teeth filled with amalgams can increase mercury vapor levels to 4.5 mg/M3, substantially higher than the levels claimed by the Executive Summary. It is important to appreciate mothers with amalgam fillings will be exposed to these levels of mercury vapor throughout their pregnancy and during breast-feeding. Mercury vapor easily enters breast milk.
A careful study done by Morgan and his peers, using pregnant rats exposed to mercury vapor, found, because of the short distance to the brain, most of the mercury remained in its elemental, highly absorbable form, thus it easily enters the fetus' brain. (11) Yet, once in the brain it is converted by the enzyme catalase into the ionic form (Hg2+), which binds to cellular components (sulfhydral units) making it very difficult to remove from the brain.
They also found the concentration of the elemental mercury increased significantly in the uterus and placenta throughout the pregnancy. Because of the extreme toxicity of elemental mercury, this can interfere with normal functions of the uterus and placenta (an extremely metabolic organ and critical to fetal health and development).
Of special importance is the observation that mercury in the brain tends to accumulate mostly in astrocytes and microglia, cells critical for brain immunity. A recent study lends even more importance to this observation: In 11 autopsied brains from individuals who had autism, all demonstrated diffuse, chronic activation of microglia and astrocytes, the exact effect of elevated brain mercury levels. (14) Ironically, chronic microglial activation has also been described in all of the neurodegenerative diseases, as well as multiple sclerosis.
False Comparisons/Ignore Critical Data
Under the "conclusions" section, the authors of the Executive Summary admit mercury vapor is released from dental amalgam restorations (fillings) and absorbed by the human body. To cover their main lie -- that mercury amalgams are safe -- they point out, in their review of the studies, 95 percent of the urine mercury levels were below World Health Organization estimates of toxicity in 1996. This was to convince the media and the public that these were safe levels.
What was ignored, among many things, was the fact that mercury is fat-soluble. This is important because the brain contains 60 percent fats and, therefore, accumulates mercury over time, so that even small daily doses gradually become larger concentrations. Even distribution in the brain varies. Studies have shown that the hippocampus (critical for memory) is one of the areas preferentially accumulating mercury. The cerebellum and occipital lobes of the brain also accumulate mercury in higher concentrations.
The cerebellum is one of the areas most frequently damaged in autism. Mercury accumulates in higher levels in the nuclei (clusters of neurons in the cerebellum), leading to a loss of critical neurons. (15) There is also evidence methylmercury enhances the toxicity of elemental mercury. There also appears to be a sex difference in mercury brain absorption, with females being more susceptible.
If All Else Fails...
Protection of the brain by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the favorite claim for the unscrupulous to fall back on. This was used by the defenders of MSG safety, until I proved that tens of millions of people had conditions that impaired the function of their BBB, including the following:
In addition, critical parts of the brain have no BBB protection (circumventricular organs).
Not only can elemental mercury enter under these conditions, but it also has a special mechanism to sneak into the brain. Mercury vapor, when absorbed by the lining of the mouth and nasal cavities, is taken up by the terminal filaments of the trigeminal nerves and olfactory nerves, respectively.
Then, it travels along the nerve axons to the olfactory bulb underneath the brain and trigeminal ganglion. (16) Pathways connect this bulb to several critical areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and entorhinal area. Mercury has been shown to travel into the brain when absorbed through the nasal passages.
In fact, a number of metals, chemicals, neurotransmitters, toxins and even untrafine particles have been shown to travel by way of the olfactory nerves into the brain, leading to injury in critical areas of the brain. Dental amalgam fillings are constantly releasing mercury vapor and 80 percent of this elemental mercury is absorbed into the tissues of the mouth. (As stated, chewing and drinking hot foods and liquids greatly increase the release of mercury vapor. Even this present study recognized that you have your amalgam filling with you 24 hours a day, which can make the danger even greater than some cases of industrial exposure.)
Should WebMD be called "QuackMD"?
So-called "orthodox medicine" likes to imply that traditional medical practice is based on hard scientific evidence, which they tout as "evidence-based medicine" and that everything outside their control is unscientific. However, several studies have shown at least 80 percent or more of standard medical practices have no scientific basis whatsoever.
WebMD posted their take on this study on their Web site, implying it was definitive and based on hard science by the best experts in the world. Ironically, they had Cynthia Trajtenberg, a professor of restorative dentistry and dental biomaterials at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, add her "idiotic" commentary.
She resorts to the ADA's standby nonsense, which they used to brainwash their dental members more than a half-century ago. It goes like this: You can think of it like chloride, which alone is a serious toxin, but when bound with sodium it becomes harmless salt. She goes on to say, "It's the same with mercury. Mercury in dental fillings is combined with silver and copper, and is transformed into a stable metal material that is not easily released into the oral cavity. Therefore, it is not harmful."
This laughable nonsense is not even endorsed by the report, which clearly says mercury vapor easily escapes the filling and is absorbed into the blood by way of the tissues of the mouth and lungs. She obviously slept through her chemistry courses.
Sodium chloride is a compound, bound by strong bonds. An amalgam is a mixture of metals not in an ionic state. Metallic mercury has a very low evaporation temperature and readily turns into a vapor. This truly is hard science.
Why would WebMD, which professes to be "evidence-based," print such obvious idiocy easily exposed by even a freshmen in high school? Could it be that they are prejudiced against the idea of amalgam toxicity? Or perhaps, could it be the editors have friends in the dental community who asked for their help against "charlatans" in alternative medicine? It is obvious there is little here in the way of "hard science."
Conclusions
This is just another piece of "junk science" to come out of the government/industry coalition. An avalanche of such phony studies have come from some prestigious institutions, like the Institute of Medicine, Health and Human Services, CDC, Life Sciences Research Office and FDA.
By cleverly restricting the information (scientific research), excluding real experts in the area in question and by forcefully implying clear-cut conclusions where none exist, they deceive the media and public. In all of these studies, they provide the media with an Executive Summary, which often has conclusions that present the opposite of what was shown in the body of the report, knowing the media are often too lazy or not sophisticated enough to understand the subtleties of the science being discussed.
As a result, the public is assured dental amalgams are perfectly safe and that question has been carefully examined by some of the best scientific minds in the world in every way it could be done. In essence, the issue is closed.
How many times do we have to face a medical disaster resulting from this errant thinking before we learn?
While I have analyzed only the Executive Summary and not the body of the report, this Executive Summary is what will reach the public. The LSRO is charging $75 for the report itself, if you include the references. This is outrageous for a study funded by taxpayer monies, and printed on a computer.
Then again, they hope none of their critics will ever read the report.
Related Articles:
How "Modern Medicine" Killed My Brother The Truth Behind the Vaccine Coverup A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule Mercury On the Mind Flu Vaccines for Children Still Contain Mercury The Beginning of the End for Amalgams in the US
How "Modern Medicine" Killed My Brother
The Truth Behind the Vaccine Coverup
A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule
Mercury On the Mind
Flu Vaccines for Children Still Contain Mercury
The Beginning of the End for Amalgams in the US
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