Nanoparticles may affect disease

Researchers who've found strange nanoparticles in a handful of kidney stones say the self-replicating specks may play a role in disease.

The U.S. researchers are not sure whether these tiny particles, 50 to 100 nanometres across, are living nanobacteria or some strange, non-living, self-assembling ball of chemicals.
"We have some evidence that would support either possibility," said kidney specialist Dr. John Lieske of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

He and colleagues report their findings in the December 2006 issue of the Journal of Investigative Medicine.At some point in their life about 10 per cent of people will get kidney stones, a painful condition in which calcium deposits clog the kidneys.

Scientists aren't sure what causes these deposits, but a theory Lieske and his colleagues are investigating is that tiny calcium-covered particles are partly to blame.Previous research has found such particles in human serum, urine, renal cysts from patients with kidney disease, as well as in kidney stones.

Lieske says some researchers dub the particles nanobacteria, and propose they are a new disease-causing agent. But Lieske says there is not yet enough evidence to say the particles are alive. Whether they are alive or not, understanding the role of nanoparticles in kidney stones will be useful in developing treatments, Lieske says.

What is known is that harmful calcification in the body is caused by nanoparticles, whether or not they can be classified as a form of bacteria. Furthermore, these nanoparticles depend on getting ‘fed’ calcium and phosphorous from the bloodstream.

It is interesting to note that dairy milk, which is highly acidic, is also rich in calcium and phosphorous. This combination of high acidity and high levels of calcium and phosphorous serve to overwhelm the bloodstream, forcing the calcium and phosphorous to be made available to nanoparticles wherever they may be lurking in the body.

This means that the regular consumption of dairy milk may significantly contribute to the proliferation of nanoparticles and harmful calcification in the human body. This subject is examined in depth in in The Milk Imperative, a remarkable new book that explodes many myths about dairy products.

Use soy milk with caution

James Rutz, chairman of the Open Church Ministries, and writing in the publication WorldNetDaily, opines that when you eat or drink excess soy products, you’re also getting substantial quantities of estrogens.

According to Rutz, the danger for a man of consuming soy milk and tofu is the suppression of your masculinity and stimulating your “female side,” both physically and mentally. The culprit is the excess intake of estrogen and the suppression of testosterone.

“Estrogens are female hormones. If you’re a woman, you’re flooding your system with a substance it can’t handle in surplus. If you’re a man, you’re suppressing your masculinity and stimulating your “female side,” physically and mentally. In fetal development, the default is being female. All humans (even in old age) tend toward femininity. The main thing that keeps men from diverging into the female pattern is testosterone, and testosterone is suppressed by an excess of estrogen.”

Babies in particular should not be fed soy milk, as in later life this may result in feminizing a boy or over-developing a girl. Children and adults should consume soy products sparingly and in moderation; replacing dairy milk with soy milk is not the best option.

As explained in The Milk Imperative, there are many other types of non-dairy milk that can be used in place of dairy or soy milk. The Milk Imperative has the best collection of non-dairy milk recipes ever published. These recipes are quick and easy to make, and offer truly delicious and nutritious milk alternatives for the whole family. To find out more go to www.milkimperative.com.