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is cupid a chemist?

By Kathleen L. Turner

The Wood River Journal, Feb. 13, 2008

In case Saints Hallmark, Godiva and Tiffany haven’t yet delivered the message to you, tomorrow is St. Valentine’s Day. Named for two, or perhaps three, romantic saints from third century Rome, the early February celebration also hails back to Greco-Roman fertility festivals.

Whether you relate more to Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde or Homer and Marge, the celebration has become synonymous with expression of romantic love. Cupid’s arrow, steeped in the chemistry of hormones and pheromones, as opposed to chocolate and Chanel, delivers both a mental and physical punch as men and women fall truly, madly, deeply into love. Just how does that work?

Humans come to love and adore that special someone through a number of visual and physical cues. Those cues trigger chemical and biological events that evoke the euphoric feelings of being in love. What sets those cues into motion is truly individual, but once triggered, the powerful effects are unmistakable: hyperactivity, insomnia, loss of appetite, obsessive thought and a general emotional high.

Anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher of Rutgers University, Dr. Arthur Aron of SUNY Stony Brook and Dr. Lucy Brown of New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine banded together to research brain activity in lovestruck individuals. They focused study on those that met the criteria putting them in the “romantic love” phase. That early phase of love, they found, hit on a different part of the brain than did the attachment or sex drive phases of love.

The early stages of love caused increased brain activity similar to that seen with addiction behaviors. The group also found that those who had taken Cupid's dart to the heart experienced significant reduction in that activity just one to two years later, even if the relationship continued. So then what? Not in love anymore? Not exactly. Enter the attachment phase.

Oxytocin, aka the “cuddle” hormone, along with the hormone vasopressin, have been found to work together to form a sort of emotional glue that helps monogamous couples stick together. Ocytocin, produced in the hypothalamus region of the brain in both males and females, runs high in females during sexual activity. It is also, by the way, critical to inducing labor and encouraging lactation.

Vasopressin and oxytocin are thought to have an effect on how yet another chemical, dopamine, acts on reward centers of the brain, making us feel good about what we’re up to. Of course, with better living through chemistry, someone has also come out with an “instant trust” spray, loaded with oxytocin, aimed at helping individuals gain that trust artificially. Dopamine, when interacting with other gonadal hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, has been linked to social acceptance and trust.

With oxytocin receptors located throughout the human brain and reproductive system, reception works to effect feelings of love, connection and attachment. Scientists found that oxytocin helped give long-standing couples staying power.

Fisher, who has been tapped as an advisor to the online dating game at Chemistry.com, explained that she designed a matching system that paired certain personality types known to get along. Fisher’s research has delivered some interesting details that she used in the Chemistry.com survey, like that comparing the length of the ring finger vs. the index finger. Fisher’s study found that those with a longer ring finger were exposed to a “rush of testosterone in the womb.” That, she said, indicates a personality type called a Director.

Fisher concluded that increased hormonal activity of specific chemicals in the brain was linked directly to specific personality traits. High levels of dopamine indicated an “Explorer” personality associated with risk taking, spontaneity and optimism. Lots of serotonin led to a person who was loyal, conscientious and calm. Exceptional estrogenic activity presented individuals who were imaginative, verbally effective and idealistic, and testosterone brought rational, inventive and direct behavior.

Humans, like other animals, have also relied on pheromones to guide them toward a suitable choice of mates. Take the sweaty t-shirt test, for example, completed over and over again with similar results. Men wore a t-shirt for two nights, took it off, then, absent their wearers, women gave the shirts the sniff test.

Not surprisingly, women consistently chose t-shirts and scents associated with wearers that complemented their own systems, dictating again that nature helps us to find mates appropriate for our own match through our sense of smell.

At the University of Pisa, Italy, Psychiatrist Dr. Donatella Marazziti looked into the hormonal changes of both obsessive-compulsive disorder and that of romantic love.

Ranking her volunteers on a Passionate Love Scale, or PLS, she found that, like obsessive-compulsive patients, volunteers in that early phase of romantic love exhibited reduced levels of seratonin in the blood, confirming that early phases of love present much like obssession.

Marazziti also found that testosterone levels increased in women in that phase, but reduced in men, as evidenced by an often kinder, gentler version of enchanted XYs in love.

While some who are seeking an amorous partner are focusing on fabled aphrodisiacs of chocolate, oysters, strawberries, turtle eggs or perhaps even rhinoceros horn, to help them in their quest, there is no scientific, chemical research that points to any suggested food or herb that actually does the trick like hormones and physical chemistry.

Many touted aphrodisiacs do have a placebo effect, or offer increased energy or specific vitamin combinations that seem to help, but nothing is backed up by science. In my own unofficial survey, I’ve found that a relationship evolving from respect, common goals and a sense of humor, with something strong between the ears, needs little of Cupid’s help.

In some instances, where stubborn potential mates don’t seem to be moved off the mark, it has been recorded that adornment with a little Ag, Au, Pt or C might do the trick. Those are the elemental symbols for sliver, gold, platinum, and, not to be taken lightly, the diamond. Here’s wishing you a reciprocal, pleasant Valentine’s Day. A votre santé.

an ounce of prevention

By Kathleen L. Turner

The Weekly Paper, Jan. 2010

Hailey, Idaho -- Seeking a cure for cancer is a noble pursuit. But, if you could take steps to prevent, or at least significantly reduce the odds of receiving a cancer diagnosis, wouldn’t that be the better choice?

Cancer research has taught us many things about how to do just that. There are plenty of studies exposing specific chemical ingredients as carcinogens. A little reading and research, combined with a few lifestyle changes in daily routines, can significantly improve the odds against developing many types of cancer.

The EPA has a list of about 150 chemicals listed as "known carcinogens." Much information published regarding chemicals on that list can be at odds with scientific studies, however. Manufacturers of products that contain ingredients on the EPA’s toxic chemicals or known carcinogens lists spend a great deal of time and money on effort to discredit anything that might give their products a bad name. How is a consumer to choose the right path?

Chemical names can be long and confusing, making research on everyday products like toothpaste and shampoo daunting. In addition, when those chemicals are mixed together, in the stuff we wash, flush or crush down our drains, they can have a drastically different impact compared to their individually tested FDA or EPA approval stats. Generally, however, it’s not hard to make significant changes that deliver positive results. For starters, there are a couple of things that are universal.

We know that smoking is directly connected to cancer. If you smoke, that’s one of the most important behaviors to consider changing. Period.

Other products that we know contain carcinogenic substances include processed meats such as hot dogs, and whole milk. Boy, howdy, we love our hot dogs at ball games, on the Fourth of July, or well seared at a barbecue. And what could seem healthier for a young, growing child than a tall glass of cold milk with that dog? While one hot dog or an occasional milk mustache will not likely predispose one to cancer, the collective effects of the hundreds of chemicals from foods, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, used over a long period of time in concert with a host of other chemicals, can set the stage for abnormal cell development and cancer later on down the road.

Conventionally produced processed meats often contain benzene hexachloride, dacthal, dieldrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene and lindane, all known carcinogens. Such meats also often contain nitrites, which interact with amine groups in the meat to form harmful nitrosamines. More carcinogens.

Conventional whole milk products often contain DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor and RBGH or recombinant bovine growth hormone, all of which increase the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancers. All are on the EPA carcinogens or toxics list. Choosing meat and dairy products without nitrites or RBGH significantly improves your odds of remaining cancer free.

On the flip side, many naturally occurring chemicals in dark colored fruits and vegetables offer protection. They seek and find abnormal cells in the body, causing apoptosis or cell death, minimizing potential problems in the process. What else do we know?

Quaternium 15, formaldehyde, saccharin and FD&C red dye #40 are all present in many personal care products we use on our bodies every day. They are also known carcinogens according to the FDA.That means we know they cause cancer. Products containing these chemicals are approved and available in any retail outlet in America. If products you use contain these chemicals you may want to reconsider your choices.

We also know that many toxins are stored in fat cells. Maintaining a healthy weight goes a long way toward avoiding health problems, one of which might include lowering your cancer risk, so get moving. And that does not mean “in your car.”

If you would like to do a little proactive research, there are some conservative sites that offer good information about chemicals, products and ingredients. Go to the American Cancer Society web site at www.cancer.org and click or search for known carcinogens list to become knowledgeable about what you do and do not want to find in your product ingredient list.

The EPA known carcinogens list is no longer published online, but can be requested via e-mail from the Communication Services Branch of the Office of Pesticide Programs in Washington, DC, at (703) 305-5017.

Additionally, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic rating site at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com offers a fairly good encyclopedia of ingredients in personal care products by brand. Do a little investigating, make a few changes, and, while nothing is a guarantee, you can rest assured that you've done your best to prevent cancer. It's a lot easier than curing it. A votre sante!

Me(Hg) and you

By Kathleen L. Turner

The Wood River Journal, Nov. 18, 2008

O.K., so there’s mercury contamination in fish, that’s no news. Mercury in Silver Creek fish, however, Idaho’s pristine blue ribbon fishing Disneyland? Now, that’s news. It might even be news to most people that they are already carrying a body burden of mercury several times that of their ancestors.

Mercury, also known as quicksilver and a large part of the ore called cinnabar, is written as "Hg" on the periodic table of elements, with an atomic number of 80. The elemental symbol, from the Latin hydrargyrum, is a compound word derived from Greek words meaning "water" and "silver", an accurate description of the physical appearance of the element.

When mercury combines with an organic chemical group known as a methyl group it becomes MeHg. It also becomes much more toxic to living, breathing, organic things. That means you.

Mercury is a transition metal, a liquid, or nearly so, at room temperature and normal air pressure. Mercury in the environment is natural. Today, scientists are thinking about one third of it comes to the atmosphere from volcanoes, fires, hot springs, natural ores and volatilization from the ocean.

Two thirds of today’s mercury budget is thought to come from anthropogenic sources, via man’s hand. Burning of fossil fuels and industrial discharges are proportionately large sources of mercury. It is thought, according to the USGS Website, that human activity has doubled, or perhaps even tripled, the amount of atmospheric mercury.

Mercury is a hidden part of an incredible list of household items. Deposits in landfills are becoming increasingly significant, posing health risks to water and wildlife, not to mention humans. For a list of things that contain mercury, thus requiring specific disposal, go to http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/con-prod.htm.

Elemental mercury is inorganic, meaning "without carbon", and, as such, is not quite as problematic as it is once bacteria go to work on it. Sulfate reducing bacteria in the environment help to turn elemental mercury into organic methylmercury. Once that functional "methyl" group joins elemental mercury, the molecule has a passport to just about anywhere in anything with a heartbeat. The methyl group allows molecule normally barred passage to be transported across living membranes.

Tiny bacterial diners in aquatic systems pass on their load of methylmercury to algae and aquatic animals that in turn dine upon them. As the food chain moves higher, larger animals near the top carry increasing concentrations, continually adding to each organism’s body burden.

Methylmercury also bioaccumulates. The bigger and older the organism, the greater the chance for accumulation in animal tissues from the number of sources eaten. Neither peeling off the skin, nor searing a catch over the grill, will eliminate the contaminant from fish caught in a methylmercury contaminated water source. Consequently, big fish contain more mercury concentrated in higher levels than small fish. While an occasional small trout won’t cause you any great harm, big doses or chronic, long-term ingestion or inhalation will. That oversize, first-prize lunker? Seems like saving it for a wall plaque could be a good idea unless you’re feeling much too smart and way too coordinated.

What does this chemistry lesson have to do with your health? Organic mercury over and above established NOAEL and LOAEL levels, that’s "No" and "Lowest" observed adverse effect levels, is toxic to humans as well as animals. No doubt you’ve heard the warnings about fish consumption related to mercury content in specific lakes, streams and oceans. Here’s what happens.

Since methylmercury can permeate membranes, it can move into brain tissue and does so with about ten percent of the amount ingested. Results can include loss of coordination, intellectual processes, vision and hearing; fatigue, fainting, blurred vision, headache, anxiety, irritability, aggression and depression.

Mercury seeks organic, sulfur-containing compounds known as thiols that are active in enzyme reactions and protein formation in the body. Proteins "fold" in very specific ways. When mercury is present in excessive amounts protein instructions for that specific folding pattern become altered, causing the protein to form differently than it should.

Babies chronically exposed to methylmercury in utero may experience neurological damage affecting cognitive skills, language, attention, memory, hand to eye coordination and fine motor skills. Pregnant and lactating women, and children under seven years of age are at increased risk of neurological damage from ingestion of excessive doses.

Limited peripheral vision, pins-and-needles type sensations in extremities, and symptoms listed above usually affect those experiencing chronic, long term, low to mid level contamination. Large, single event contamination, such as that presented by industrial accidents, usually results in immediate brain, kidney and neurological damage. More information regarding mercury poisoning can be found at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ATSDR, where a toxicological profile for mercury, along with other contaminants, is listed.

Mercury vapor can be distributed in air, rain, fog and snow, traveling great distances by hopping from place to place, dropping down in one place with the weather and vaporizing over a body of water, re-entering the air for another trip on prevailing winds. Environments once thought pure and removed from the pollution spewed by urban industry are not necessarily safe from contamination. The recent discovery of mercury in fish tissue in Silver Creek illustrates that. And, while we can limit our intake of fish, what can the fish do? As their stewards, we are all responsible.

Cement, phosphate and coal-fired power plants, exhaust from fossil fuel burning vehicles, waste and metal processing, mining and other human activities are increasing the global atmospheric mercury burden by about 1.5 percent per year. What’s an earth-dweller to do?

Take an active role by limiting the amount of energy used that comes from coal-fired power plants, limiting driving petroleum powered vehicles, limiting use of products that distribute additional loads of mercury into the environment, disposing of household items containing mercury in proper waste streams and paying attention to fish advisories. All could help improve your chances of living the long, healthy life most hope for by supporting a cleaner back yard. A votre santé.