Dr. Weeks’ Comments: the human brain and nervous system is mostly fat and plastics mimic fats in the human body so we are not surprised that this research shows the plastics in your conveniences cups and dishes and water bottles – phthalates – are linked to the pandemic of ADHD.
Common Plastics Chemicals Phthalates Linked to ADHD Symptoms
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2009) ”” Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. Studies to date on phthalates have been inconsistent, with some linking exposure to these chemicals to hormone disruptions, birth defects, asthma, and reproductive problems, while others have found no significant association between exposure and adverse effects.
A new report by Korean scientists, published by Elsevier in the November 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, adds to the potentially alarming findings about phthalates. They measured urine phthalate concentrations and evaluated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using teacher-reported symptoms and computerized tests that measured attention and impulsivity.
They found a significant positive association between phthalate exposure and ADHD, meaning that the higher the concentration of phthalate metabolites in the urine, the worse the ADHD symptoms and/or test scores.
Journal Reference:
- Kim et al. Phthalates Exposure and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in School-Age Children. Biological Psychiatry, 2009; 66 (10): 958 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.034
See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101042.htm for the full story.