Broccoli Pill Could Be Next Big Autism Treatment

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
June 28, 2018

Parents of children with autism constantly search for new methods of treatment to cure or, at the very least, alleviate the symptoms of their child’s illness. For the most part, the damage has been done when it comes to the effects on the brain and, for that reason, many parents find themselves on goose chase after goose chase.

While mainstream media, Big Pharma, and the medical industry refuse to look at the cause of autism, however, there is research being done in regards to the symptoms.

One such study, “Identification of urinary metabolites that correlate with clinical improvements in children with autism treated with sulforaphane from broccoli.,” published in Molecular Autism has taken a look at using “urinary metabolomics analysis” as a method of identifying pathways that might be involved in the treatment of abnormal physiology in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

Basically, it has been discovered that children with autism have “urinary metabolites” which suggest impairments in a number of pathways, - oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and gut microbiome alterations.

Interestingly enough, sulforaphane, a supplement with indirect antioxidant effects, has been shown to lead to improvements in the social responsiveness and behavior of children with ASD.

The study was designed to look at changes in urinary metabolites associated with clinical improvements in order to determine a “potential mechanism of action,” i.e. how it works.

1 In 12 American Seniors Currently Facing Food Insecurity Despite Claims Of Better Economy

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
June 28, 2018

Over 10 Million American Seniors Currently Facing Food Insecurity

Despite the government and its media mouthpieces’ constant claims regarding the “end of the great recession” and the elusive “recovery,” America is still experiencing depression level unemployment rates and vastly lower standards of living.

While the U.S. government touts unemployment rates at around 3%, the reality is that those numbers are more in the 20% range, with statistics being adjusted to make America seem as if it were right back there in its Golden Age of being the most prosperous economy on the face of the earth.

But, despite the celebration from government agencies and corporate media, the ability to meet basic needs like food are still incredibly dicey.

For instance, the 2018 annual report from Feeding America (The State Of Senior Hunger In America 2016: An Annual Report), has analyzed the numbers from two years ago to determine just how stable food security for American seniors is across the country.

The report found some troubling numbers.

Specifically, in 2016, we find that:

New Meta-Analysis Reveals That GMOs And Non-GMO Plants Are Not “Substantially Similar”

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
June 28, 2018

Claims of “substantial equivalence” between GMO plants and their non-GMO counterparts have been proven false

For years, the GMO industry as well as its mouthpieces in Western regulatory agencies and corporate media have dismissed any differences between natural plants and their GM counterparts by labeling the GM variety as “substantially similar” to the natural plant. This concept of “substantial equivalence,” however, has long been disputed and a recent meta-analysis of genetic data on rice, maize, canola, pumpkin, and sunflower is proving to be yet another blow against one of the favorite narratives favored by GM proponents.

In this latest peer-reviewed paper published in Frontiers In Plant Science, researchers from Mexico City looked at wild, GMO, and non-GMO varieties of the five crops mentioned above and analyzed their phenotypic change.

As GM Watch writes,

The phenotype of a crop is defined by a set of characteristics expressed by the crop’s genetic code (DNA). In theory, genetically engineered plants will show phenotypic changes only linked to the traits that scientists added to the GMO in the hope that they will be expressed. For example, a corn plant engineered to express the Bt toxin should not be different from normal corn in other ways.

But the Frontiers In Plant Science article states that "Genetics are complicated and unintended consequences often occur."

GM Apples Being Sold On Amazon Without Label

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
May 11, 2018

Arctic Apples are fruit that has been genetically modified not to brown when they are cut. Because the genetic modification process is what prevents the browning, these apples are now being sold on places like Amazon as “preservative free.” In addition, they are being sold without disclosing the fact that they are genetically engineered.

The United States does not require labeling of GMOs so there is nothing illegal about selling food products without disclosing GM elements. The apples are tellingly only being sold in the U.S., a country that is fast becoming the most toxic food supply in the world outside of China.

But while it may not be illegal, selling GM Arctic Apples could very well be dangerous and it is a violation of a consumers’ right to know if they are purchasing a product that could harm their health.

GM Arctic Apples have not been properly safety tested and regulators in the United States have yet to assess the health or environmental risks of the genetic engineering process used to produce the apples. Of course, we all know that U.S. regulators are not going to have a problem with any genetically engineered food product as they have essentially acted as Monsanto’s errand boys for years.

Still, for those who may be concerned, consumers should be aware that the Arctic Apples are created by using a “gene-slicing technique called RNAi or RNA interference. Independent scientists warn that products engineered using RNAi might silence the genes or otherwise affect the gene expression of non-target organisms. In this case, non-target organisms include humans who eat the apples.”

GM Watch has requested that reader who are concerned over the unlabeled GM products leave a comment on the product page demanding that Amazon properly inform consumers what they are purchasing.

Trump’s NAFTA Renegotiation Seeks To Empower Toxic Food Industry

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

March 23, 2018

After three decades of disastrous Free Trade policies that have seen American jobs shipped out the door, Mexican sweat shops pop up all across the country, and the loss of biodiversity and diversity of the food supply in Mexico, NAFTA is finally being looked at once again. With that second look, a tangled web of interests and perspectives has arisen that are difficult for the average American to unravel, especially given the fact that their media has done nothing but lie to them in regards to the effects of NAFTA on their own economy.

Corporate America and the financial sector are and have always been in favor of the agreement due to the fact that they are able to take advantage of cheap labor and weaker worker and environmental protections in order to maximize profits. Likewise, major international corporations like Monsanto have been able to move into Mexico and Canada, destroying the biodiversity and health of the people living there.

In addition, a host of wealthy oligarchical ideologues who wish to see “one planet” united under the banner of trade have long seen the NAFTA deal as the first step in the creation of the “one world” system by using trade to unite the Americas.

Because these three elements have been in favor of NAFTA, both the U.S. government and American media have thus worked to promote, protect, and expand the agreement since the day it was publicly proposed.

Ultra-Processed Food Linked To Cancer

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

February 16, 2018

A new study by French researchers is drawing attention to the possible links between processed foods and cancer.

The study, which classified foods such as mass produced bread, chicken nuggets, and cakes as “ultra processed,” looked at 105,000 people, showed results which suggest that the more “ultra-processed” foods people eat, the greater their risk of cancer.

Diet, of course, is already known to affect the risk of cancer, with obesity being heavily linked to cancer rates. Processed meat has also shown an increase in rates of cancer.

Foods considered ultra processed include:

• Mass-produced packaged breads and buns
• Sweet or savory packaged snacks including crisps [chips]
• Chocolate bars and sweets
• Sodas and sweetened drinks
• Meatballs, poultry and fish nuggets
• Instant noodles and soups
• Frozen or shelf-life ready meals
• Foods made mostly or entirely from sugar, oils and fats

FDA Tries To Kill FOIA On Alter Of GMOs

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

February 8, 2018

In a surprising turn of events, a U.S. federal court has ruled in favor of the public interest. Even more surprising, the court ruled against the FDA which has been pushing the approval of GE salmon for human consumption.

The approval of the GE salmon, which is made from the DNA of Pacific Chinook Salmon, Atlantic Salmon and Deepwater Ocean Eel Pout, took place in 2015. However, the battle has been raging long before and after that date. The FDA, while launching a jihad against natural supplements and kratom, became the first government agency in the world to approve a GM animal for commercial sale and consumption.

Apparently the “every possible danger must be hyped, examined and exploited for a ban” methodology only applies to harmless substances and those that improve the health and livelihoods of the average American. When it comes to those substances which could potentially harm large amounts of people, or eradicate entire species of animals, the FDA takes a hands-off approach.

This time around, many experts have expressed concern with GE salmon, including biologists at U.S. Wildlife agencies who work with fish and wildlife, criticizing the FDA for not properly investigating the potential impacts. The FDA while jumping on the bandwagon of every distorted story in regards to kratom and natural supplements, ignored these professionals with real concerns. As a result, on March 2016, Earth Justice filed a lawsuit against the FDA. The lawsuit required the FDA to compile a record of research and documents that led up the FDA decision to approve GE salmon. The lawsuit requires a complete record.

At the time of the writing of this article, the FDA has refused to release most of the documents related to its decision despite a number of clients requesting those documents under FOIA. As Earth Justice states,

Big Ag Offers More Genetic Modification To Solve Crisis Caused By Genetic Modification

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

September 12, 2017

Genetic modification is now taking on a new appearance. Although if you were to read many reports announcing arrival of the new technique it would sound as if it is an entirely new and separate process.

Because plants are able to “turn off” their genes through RNA interference in order to block protein translation – researchers are now attempting to weaponize this trait and genetically engineer crops that can produce specific RNA fragments that begin the process of RNA interference to shut down a specific gene which is necessary for life and reproduction.

This RNA fragment production would be set to begin upon ingestion by insects. it would then kill or sterilize the insects who have eaten the crop. The new RNA interference modification was recently reviewed in Trends in Biotechnology in the journal’s special issue on Environmental Biotechnology.

As Cell Press writes:

RNA interference faces multiple obstacles before it could work for all major crops and their pests. On the plant side, scientists have not yet found a way to transform the chloroplast genomes of cereal grains such as rice and corn, the most direct route to producing enough RNA fragments to eliminate pests at a high rate. On the insect side, prominent pests such as some caterpillars can degrade those fragments, staving off shutdown of the target gene. 

Big Ag Reaps Benefits From Emerging Dicamba Crisis

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

September 11, 2017

While most of the focus has centered on glyphosate in terms of dangerous pesticides, there is another weed killer that is posing a danger to crop growers – dicamba.

Although not the only state affected by the growing dicamba controversy, Ohio has been one of the afflicted states.

Although the state has only received 19 official complaints of dicamba damage in 2017, weed specialists like Mark Loux at the Ohio State University Extension, an outreach arm of the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Services at Ohio State University, says this is most likely because farmers do not tend to want to report their neighbors.

They tend to fault the dicamba not the person who is applying it.

For this reason, Loux estimates that there could be 3-4 times more instances of harm. Loux says, “the sense I get from people here is, ‘this is not acceptable.’ What’s not acceptable is this movement with no ability to control it.”

What Loux is referring to is the fact that dicamba often spreads beyond the intended target area.

After dicamba is applied to crops it can turn into a vapor and then move to the surface of leaves and spread to neighboring fields with the wind. Loux says that it can sometimes spread as far as half a mile away.

“I’ve seen it cover whole soybean fields,” he said.

One In Two Chance Of Cancer In Canada As GMO Products Flood Food Supply

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
July 7, 2017


It’s been a familiar retort for the last decade, that correlation does not equal causation. That may be true but it is also true that correlation is irrelevant or that it has no bearing to causation.

Most reasonable people could agree that when it comes to health and human life, potential dangers should be examined from all possible angles. Unfortunately, members of government, media and the medical industry don’t seem to agree.

This is particularly true in the case of rising cancer numbers which experts claim to have them baffled. For instance, in an article published by the Canadian press in June 2017, it was announced by a new report from the Canadian Cancer Society that almost one in every two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Those numbers are staggering. So just think about that for a second. If you live in Canada, you have a 50/50 chance of being diagnosed with cancer.

This is an all-time high and cancer numbers are continuing to rise. Experts within the CCS expect to see a dramatic increase in the number of cancers diagnosed in Canada by 2030. But while these experts attempt to attribute those rising cancer cases to age, it’s obvious that such an explanation is not only too simplistic, it simply doesn’t line up with other statistics.

One thing not being discussed is the direct correlation between the introduction of genetically modified foods and the growing cancer rate.

Canadians have been eating genetically modified food since the mid-1990s and the number of GMOs on the market and on Canadian plates have done nothing but increase ever since. Of course Canadians didn’t know they were eating GMOs until long after they were introduced and they certainly didn’t know about the dangers of GM food until long after that.

In fact, many Canadians are still unaware of the dangers because of the massive propaganda campaigns launched at them by their media and the international biotech firms that partly own it.

This Professor Says Raw Food Diet Will Kill You In Six Months

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

June 13, 2017

Professor Says You Will Die if You Eat Raw Food, “Not Scientific” – Is Proven Wrong By Everything

Gwyneth Paltrow and Megan Fox Shut London Professor Down By Existing

According to Professor Steven Jones, following a raw food diet is extremely dangerous and could even be fatal. Such is the context of the new report published by the Independent quoting Professor Jones and his claims that a raw food diet will result in fatal starvation if followed for six months.

“We are the only animal who has ever lived that would starve to death if we ate raw food alone,” said Jones. “We’ve lost the enzymes and the absorption mechanism to digest raw food. We’ve lost muscular strength, all kinds of things. One of the things we’ve lost is that our reproductive apparatus is rather boring. Chimpanzees have enormous testes compared to us.”


But while it is unfortunate for Professor Jones that human genitalia is not as exciting as he would like it to be, the former head of the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London’s claims are patently false.

We are well aware of the tendency of academics toward megalomania but one has to wonder why even the Independent would give such a ridiculous claim the time of day.

Future Of GM Crops In India On The Table With GM Mustard Decision

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

June 13, 2017

Genetically modified mustard is now one step closer to commercial cultivation in India after the country’s central biotech regulator, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee approved the vegetable for cultivation and recommended that the Environment Ministry do the same.

The decision will be made by the Environment Minister Anil Madhave Dev who has the option of accepting it, rejecting it, or simply waiting for the Supreme Court to make a decision in an already pending application.

GM mustard would be the second food crop which has received clearance if it is allowed to be produced. In 2010, the GEAC cleared the Bt brinjal (eggplant), but the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh did not accept it. Currently, only Bt cotton is commercially cultivated in India.

Deepak Pental, ex-Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University and a prominent genetic scientist filed an application for a commercial release in 2015. As a result the GEAC set up a sub-committee to examine the safety of the GM mustard and determined that it is safe for human consumption and environment.

That decision has been opposed by anti-GM groups, environmentalists and economic policy thinktank Swadeshi Jagranmanch.

Ashwani Mahajan, the SJM’s national co-covener, told Times of India, “We will write against the GEAC’s move to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the environment minister Anil Madhav Dave, requesting them to reject the recommendation of the GEAC.”

Bayer Unleashes Army Of Re-Educated Farmers From GMO Training Program

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

March 30, 2017

Set to become the world’s largest seed technology company, if it is successful in acquiring Monsanto – Bayer’s Adrian Percy, a global head of Research and Development with Bayer, has publicly bemoaned the fact that consumers in Europe are staunchly resisting genetic engineering and even stated that he believes that the battle over GMOs in Europe is over.

“To be honest,” he said. “I think that battle is probably lost.”

Percy says that countries like France and Germany are simply not going to budge when it comes to GMOs and that there is no point in fighting it. But that doesn’t mean that Percy, Monsanto or Bayer are actually giving up. In fact, they’re simply gearing up for a new fight, this time, with more “educated” “scientists,” “farmers” and “consumers.”

The company is planning to push for a new form of genetic engineering known as gene editing. And this time, the corporation wants consumers pacified before the fight even starts.

Percy said he believes it’s critical that the scientific community get behind gene editing and other forms of genetic engineering and take the lead in advocating for the technologies to be used in Europe. There is little doubt, of course, that the legions of scientists who are getting paid by GMO seed companies to find positive results in their experiments…oops, I mean, (*Ahem) objective results.

This is despite the fact that the last time scientists and Bayer went on a propaganda spree in Europe, it ended with the deaths of millions of people in concentration camps in the second World War. But what is a few million people gassed to death between friends, eh?

Monsanto Launches War On Scientists, Says Science Will Ruin Their Business

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

March 17, 2017

A new battle is now raging over glyphosate (Roundup weed killer) on the heels of the California decision to require a cancer warning on the pesticide at the state level.

Faced with having to defend a proven danger to public health in a court of law, as well as having to face tighter scrutiny in the EU, the chemical industry is lashing out at some members of the scientific community who dare to say what is. Namely, that glyphosate is detrimental to human health and the environment.

The spearhead of the new battle strategy, is the Campaign for Accuracy in Public Health Research (CAPHR). While CAPHR has such a nice sounding name to it, it was actually formed in February 2017 by the American Chemistry Council, an umbrella group representing the chemical industry whose membership includes Monsanto as well as other major, industrial chemical companies.

The purpose of the CAPHR is essentially to combat and discredit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which is a unit of the World Health Organization. Back in March 2015, an IARC scientific team declared glyphosate to be a “probable human carcinogen.” The declaration came after an extensive review of the research published on the subject.

Ever since, Monsanto and other multi-national chemical giants have gone after the IARC. Monsanto and friends have made demands, engaged in its typical bullying and threats and has even attempted legal maneuvers to get its way.

One of these methods included lobbying the U.S. House of Representatives to cut funding to the IARC. While one can scarcely argue with the need to reduce the United States’ unwieldy and disproportionate funding of the United Nations and related UN organizations, Monsanto is lobbying to destroy the IARC simply because the IARC represents a threat to a portion of its profits.

Study Shows Roundup Weedkiller Causes Liver Disease At Extremely Low Concentrations

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

March 13, 2017

If the toxic herbicide glyphosate had not provided enough reasons to justify a ban, a new study published in Scientific Reports is doing just that.

This study has revealed that Roundup, of which glyphosate is the main ingredient, has the potential to cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The study involved a test on rats that showed that even at extremely low levels of exposure, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was produced.

This peer-reviewed study showed that Roundup caused NAFLD at a concentration far below that which is found in the bodies of most Americans.

Indeed, the research showed that exposing the rats to Roundup in concentrations a thousand times lower than allowable limits in food and drinking water or even lower than concentrations found in the urine of most Americans caused changes in the liver which contained the molecular signature of NAFLD.

Around a third of U.S. residents are affected by NAFLD which generally causes no symptoms in most people but can lead to liver cirrhosis and cancer. There are known risk factors but these factors do not explain the increase of cases of NAFLD and why it is much more common in young people in the past. It is also worth noting that liver cancer has increased among Americans almost three-fold since the 1980s.

As Dr. David Schubert, Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies wrote,

In the world of drug development, in which I am a participant, before a drug is allowed into the clinic, it must be carefully screened in animals such as rats to determine if it shows toxic effects at the exposure levels where it is expected to be effective in humans. If any toxicity is observed, the drug is not allowed. In addition, once approved, signs of toxicity in patients must be monitored and reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One would hope that this would also be the case with prevalent agricultural chemicals, but it is not. 

GM Golden Rice Flops In New Trial, Mutant Plants Reduces Crop Yield

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

March 13, 2017

After millions of dollars and untold amounts of hype, the GM Lobby’s favorite crop is demonstrating itself to do the opposite of what it was allegedly intended to do.

As evidenced by a new study, Golden Rice, which was engineered to produce the precursor of vitamin A (carotenoids) has shown extensive abnormalities in growth as well as reduced grain yield.

The researchers named several reasons for the poor performance of Golden Rice, one of which being, that the new gene interferes with the plant’s gene that produces growth hormones. In addition, the new gene was not solely active in the kernels as it was intended, but also in the leaves. Both issues caused a substantial reduction in the amount of chlorophyll which is essential for the life of the plant.

Interestingly enough, these unintended effects were not detected in previous experiments. And Golden Rice was advertised as being a crop that would be genetically stable.

For years, Golden Rice has been hyped by the GMO lobby, Big Ag corporations and the “charitable” NGO community as the miracle that would save the third world from vitamin A deficiency, blindness and starvation. But so far, as is the case with most GMO crops, golden rice has produced nothing.

Instead, it seems that years of repeating the term Golden Rice in relation to saving the world and painting anti-GMO activists as stubbornly forcing the third world to starve is mainly more effective as a PR campaign than anything else.

Big corporations and NGOs run by bankers and financiers could not care less about starvation in the third world. After all, banks and corporations are largely the reason why Africans live on a continent of unimaginable abundance yet starve to death on a daily basis.

Parity Is The Answer To America’s Agricultural Crisis

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

March 6, 2017

Farming is, by nature, an up and down game, with so many variables going into the production of food that can drive both prices and production. Throughout American and, indeed, world history, agriculture has been susceptible to the climate, weather, human action, war, and economic policy. But, for all history, one thing has remained constant: the fact that human society totally depends on the ability of farmers to produce food. It is quite a simple realization but a powerful one. The death of the farmer is the death of humanity as a whole.

In the United States, since the early 1900s, the entire country has experience various farm crises – some as a result of weather and climate disasters but mostly as a result of governmental policy, i.e. the inability of the U.S. government to ensure that farmers actually have an incentive to produce food.

America made it through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression and still lived to establish perhaps the greatest or near greatest fair agricultural system in the world . . . until the mid-1950s when that system was ended with the advent of the 1980s farm crisis and a series of events that has seen big banks and big corporations take the place of family farmers, a process that is continuing to this day. In 2017, American farming is in the worst shape of American history.

New German Supermarket Lidl Set To Compete With Aldi In 2017

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze 

February 20, 2016

The American food market is experiencing a German invasion. And it’s a welcome one.

After the dramatic expansion of and increased success of Aldi, a new German supermarket chain – Lidl – is now opening its first wave of stores in the United States.

In fact, 20 stores are slated to be opened in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

At the beginning, Lidl planned to open its first group of stores no later than 2018. However, the supermarket chain is moving forward ahead of schedule with plans to open up a hundred locations along the American East Coast within a year.

The grocer’s mantra, at least for the U.S. market is “high quality at a low price.” Lidl’s business strategy involves offering fewer products in smaller stores in order to keep prices low while at the same time raising food quality and shopping experience standards.

While more traditional grocery stores continue to chug along, Aldi and Trader Joe’s (owned by Aldi) have seen drastic amounts of success with a similar model. Basically, the entire shopping experience will be simpler, streamlined and without any frills.

Vegan Curry Butternut Squash Noodles Easy, Quick, Grain-Free

Heather Callaghan
Natural Blaze
January 23, 2017

The meal above was one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve made in a long time. It was actually mouth-watering and surprisingly filling. I finally tried my hand at a quick vegan and grain-free, nutrient-dense meal and it was so enjoyable I just had to share it. You won’t find this at your typical restaurant.

The warm and warming vegan curry is great for a quick, winter meal that won’t cause bloat and is easy to clean up afterward. This easy-to-prepare dinner produced energy that lasted far into the evening – it was a pick-me-up. Later in the evening I was hungry and was fine after a light, nutritious snack.

This vegan curry is dairy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo, sugar-free and egg-free.

What you need – Serves 2 – (one bowl each):

• Fresh Spinach
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1/2 Red Onion
• Cilantro (optional topping)
• Chopped mushroom of choice (I chose Portobello)
• Any other veggies of your choice such as broccoli or green beans. 
• 1 can coconut milk – this one is BPA-Free

Science: Endometriosis, Fibroids Caused By These Common Chemicals, Billions In Annual Medical Costs

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

January 13, 2017

In a new study, a team of researchers set out to estimate the health cost of two chemicals in the European Union – pthalates and DDE.

Both of these chemicals are known hormone disruptors and are found virtually everywhere in the Western world. From plastics to pesticides and from makeup to food both pthalates and DDE are almost impossible to avoid by anyone living a life that is considered somewhat normal.

But both have been strongly linked with “common” female reproductive issues, particularly endometriosis and fibroids.

Between fibroids and endometriosis, it is estimated that 70% of women will experience infertility as a result of exposure.

There are substantial human and toxicological studies (in mice and other lab animals) that suggest that exposure to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals, many of which are increasing in use, are contributing to female reproductive conditions,” said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, associate professor of pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine.

DDE is actually a breakdown product of DDT that was banned for agricultural purposes by the United States and Europe in the 1970s. The product is still used for disease control and its agricultural residue still lingers in the environment. For that reason, most exposure to pthalates comes from eating food produced in contaminated soils/water and from eating food and drinks stored in plastic that contains pthalates.