Original Research Archives - Mindshift Care

Episode 14: Download the first Independent Medical Opinion letter that got a Vietnam Veteran VA Service-Connection for Agent Orange causing Dementia.

UPDATE 11/10/2025: We were successful! The VA Awarded 100% Service-Connection for Agent Orange Causing Dementia for the first time in history.

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I recently had the experience of doing an evaluation on a Vietnam veteran who had been exposed to Agent Orange. Since 1993, the VA Secretary has declared that there is no link between Agent Orange and the subsequent development of dementia. In the past two years, all that has changed.

https://vimeo.com/1128135250?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

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I just have to say, Thank a Vietnam Veteran TODAY

The entire world owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our Vietnam Veterans, not only for suffering the way the did and continue to, but for advancing mental health care with the advent of the PTSD diagnosis in 1980. My family got involved because my father brought Vietnam home with him too. I like to say my little brother and I were Sons of Rambo, but my life experience led me to a completely different way to look at the whole problem. Flashbacks are electromagnetic waves in the body. Dozens of ancient, and several modern, techniques address the EMF wave without talking about trauma or pain at all. I believe energy healing returns us to our ancestral roots and God, in His infinite grace and lovingkindness, has provided a way for all peoples to find relief through different forms of medicine and healing. That's why Mindshift Care blends modern PTSD care with the much more effective ancient techniques that are Complementary and Alternative Medicine options for self-care. So, now I can help you, pray for you, and watch you release the residue from the body that is the real problem-magnifier. // MAJ (fmr) Daniel M. Williams, M.D., P.A.

The toxic shame-culture still abounds at every step and every layer of the Matrix.

So when you do VA Disability Evaluations, sometimes you get push-back on your reports. It's usually a previously written rebuttal paragraph, like this one. Notice how they address a board-certified psychiatrist of 10 years that believes neurotoxins kill brain cells - they said my report had "deficiencies". What I really wanted to say, instead of this IMO letter below, is "You're copy/pasting a 'deficiency' reply into the official VA disability claim from a veteran who was drafted, had nerve agent dumped on top of him from American aircraft, and was spit upon when he returned home to a country with several cities burning in protest fires. No, my report did not have deficiencies. You're part of a corrupt system that has been denying these claims since Agent Orange's first test spray in Vietnam on August 10, 1961. Signed, MAJ (fmr) Daniel. M. Williams, M.D., P.A., former 36th Infantry Division Psychiatrist."

Here's what the VA said when I concluded Agent Orange caused Dementia

"Please have the previous examiner address the deficiencies with the examination he or she conducted on the Veteran. Neurobehavioral disorders (cognitive and neuropsychiatric) have been determined by the Secretary, based on cumulative scientific data reported by the National Academies of Science since 1993, to have no positive association with herbicide exposure. Dementia is classified as a neurobehavioral disorder, encompassing both cognitive and neuropsychiatric components. You indicated that "the rationale is the veteran was exposed to Herbicide Agent TCDD while the Veteran served in Vietnam. This has been associated with the subsequent development of dementia." However, this rationale is not sufficient in this case. The rationale must: 1. Cite any general medical principles used to support the opinion. 2. Identify pertinent medical evidence and case-specific information relied on to support the opinion. 3. Demonstrate how the opinion was formulated. 4. Include supportive arguments for any opinions rendered or conclusions reached, with an analysis that can be considered when weighing contradictory or conflicting opinions. 5. Provide clear conclusions based upon supporting data and analysis, including a reasoned medical explanation connecting the two. Please clarify how, as a specific and individual matter, the Veteran’s dementia is associated with herbicide exposure, given that the National Academies of Science since 1993 have found no positive association involving neurobehavioral disorders with herbicide exposure as a general matter. Provide a specific, individualized rationale consistent with the five points above, to substantiate and support the opinion rendered."

I have to admit that when I first saw this reply, it was news to me. I had the feeling I made a mistake, but I had to fight this one. If you've read about my personal struggle with detoxing from the PFAS Forever Chemicals, you'd know I'm intimately familiar with how neurotoxins kill brain cells. I decided to dig my feet in and write an essay on how Agent Orange causes dementia. Besides, I had to because there was no way to resubmit the document I had already filled out. I didn't know the research when I made that decision.

Make a VA Disability Claim

Application Tracker (one-page)

2026 Nominee for the Mindshift Care Every Day Hero Award

I invited Dr. Suzanne de la Monte, MD MPH to appear on the Gluten-Free Psychiatry Podcast. She is the researcher that provided both missing links between Agent Orange and dementia. Contact me to submit questions you'd like me to ask prior to that podcast. My plan is to emphasize her as a role model for future researchers' footsteps to follow.

Download and share the full IMO letter with citation at the bottom of this page. Be sure to leave the PDF unchanged and cite properly.

My Proof That Agent Orange Causes Dementia: Response to the VA

[The most current version of the letter will be at the bottom of the page.]

"Recent evidence suggests that Agent Orange exposures may predispose to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease.1 There are now biological breakthroughs in science demonstrating what has been missing since in establishing causality of Agent Orange leading to neurocognitive decline and dementia. This contradicts the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs long held position that there is no causality (see Appendix A). It is well accepted that amyloid plaque collects in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.2  More recent evidence suggest that medications with anti-histamine properties, like over-the-counter sleep aids and allergy pills, shut down the glymphatic system’s nightly brain wash-out of these amyloid plaques. Higher plasma Aβ oligomer levels were found in the blood of Alzheimer’s Disease patients that had been exposed to Agent Orange than those who had not.3 This landmark finding is a missing biological link to elevated amyloid plaques that build up (See Figure 1).

Figure 1. Peer-reviewed, scientific studies now demonstrate causality of Agent Orange and neurocognitive damage, including the mechanism of action of dementia.

The Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2008 publication was written by the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Seventh Biennial Update) at the Institutes of Medicine.4 In the 2008 Update, they write “Neurologic disorders due to toxicant exposure may result in either immediate or delayed dysfunction of any component of the nervous system; immediate effects of toxicants may involve all aspects of the nervous system, whereas delayed effects are likely to produce more focal problems.” They ruled against Agent Orange causing neurobehavioral effects, while simultaneously writing that Alzheimer’s Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Spinocerebellar degeneration, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis “all may be triggered by aspects of the environment, including toxicant exposure.” I opine that the reason there is not enough data to show causality is because it would be unethical to arrange a research study to prove it. The closest we can come is to recreate the conditions in a lab. Fortunately, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital, Lifespan Academic Institutions, and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island have made progress demonstrating the mechanism of action in cell cultures and in rat models.

In 2023, Suzanne de la Monte et al. published their landmark finding under laboratory conditions, citing “Exposures to Agent Orange herbicidal chemicals rapidly damage CNS neurons, initiating a path toward AD-type neurodegeneration. Additional research is needed to understand the permanency of these neuropathologic processes and the added risks of developing AD in Agent Orange-exposed aging Vietnam Veterans.5 This study supports previously denied claims that the two main constituents in Agent Orange, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), which independently and synergistically damage the central nervous system.5 Both compounds impair mitochondrial function and reduce cell viability in neuronal models, with 2,4,5-T demonstrating greater potency in causing cell death and mitochondrial dysfunction.”5         

In 2024, Suzanne de la Monte and Ming Tong published their findings in live rat models.6 The rats were injected with Agent Orange and developed brain damage that clearly mimics dementia in humans.6 They concluded “Exposures to AO herbicidal chemicals damage frontal lobe brain tissue with molecular and biochemical abnormalities that mimic pathologies associated with early-stage AD-type neurodegeneration.”6

Translating this laboratory research into an attribution claim for a Vietnam veteran that was soaking wet in Agent Orange is difficult....

Episode 3: PFAS comes out of the body during Ionic Foot Bath.

https://vimeo.com/1055803788

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Introduction

Polyfluoryl-alkyl Substances (PFAS) represent 15,000 different variations of long chains of fluoride, a known neurotoxin, that bioaccumulate in plants and animals.1 In humans, they have been associated with kidney cancer, increased cholesterol, and thyroid problems to name a few.2 PFAS is commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” due to the fact they stay in the body from 3-27 years, depending on the form.3 Ongoing bioaccumulation risks remain for those working in industries with frequent exposure, dump sites, contaminated water supplies, food packaging, painting, electroplating, carpet installation, carpet treatment, serving as a firefighter, working with ski wax, waterproofing material and construction materials.1, 4 Public awareness has not yet caught up to the existing science and there is a paucity of recommendations available for the informed consumer.

The available data for daily exposure for the general population to PFAS comes out of Canada and Norway.5 Daily consumption was 90% dietary with intake of 73 ng/day, on par with dust and air inhalation exposure. A follow-up study combined types of PFAS and estimated daily consumption as high as 250 ng per day. This study aims to validate ionic foot bath treatments remove PFAS from the human body, paving the way to correlate with improved health outcomes.

This study analyzes the removal of PFAS from a human subject by an inexpensive ionic foot bath machine.

Materials

Hand-crafted copper foot basin from India. (I now recommend using the plastic tubs to avoid electrical current problems.)

Ionic Cleanse Detox machine from Better Health Company, round double coil array. Model BHC-CTRL-01, 24 W, 2A, 12V DC.

One gallon per session of distilled water, steam distillation from Premium Waters, packaged 05/27/24 12:06, best by 05/27/2025.

GreenPan anodized ceramic cooking pot

Pink Himalayan salt, 1/4 cup per session

Methods

An initial serum PFAS level was obtained using the PFASure test from Any Lab Test Now.

One 30-minute foot bath session was conducted with the Ionic Cleanse Detox Machine using distilled water with 1/4 cup of pink Himalayan salt.

Water sample testing was conducted on both the clean and dirty foot bath water using SimpleLab.

Before

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

Before

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

Results

The initial serum PFAS result was 7 ng/mL, which falls in the Medium Risk Category (<2 preferred, 2-20 elevated risk health risks, >20 high risk of bad health outcomes).

The clean sample of distilled water used in the initial foot bath came back from the lab totally free of PFAS.

The dirty water from my very first foot bath was also sent off for 3rd party, independent testing. The PFAS results was 49.7 PPT (parts per trillion), which is over 12 times the new EPA drinking water standard (<4 PPT). The lab results is below:

RESULTS of distilled water after the first foot bathDownload

Initial ValuesUnit Conversions0.0000497 PPMmg/L0.0497 PPBmicrogram/L49.7 PPTng/L49,700 PPQpg/LThe total amount of excreted PFAS was 0.18813438 micrograms (188.13 ng).

Discussion

This study will need to be duplicated if it turns out that PFAS comes out readily during electrolysis.

Recommendations

Mindshift Care Protocol for PFAS Elimination

The Firefighter's Detox is for Everyone

STAGE 1:Limit exposure. Filter water all the time.Ionic foot baths or sauna.Educate yourself.

Creative Visualization and Meditation of being fully detoxed.

STAGE 2:Ketosis to kill fat cells storing toxins.

Stage 3:

Eliminate toxic vegetable oils from the diet.

Next Steps

Stay tuned for a new curriculum to be coming out. The Mindshift Method for nutrition strings a few diets concepts in a row depending on individual health needs.

References

1.            National Academies of Sciences E, Medicine, Health, et al. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. National Academies Press (US)

Copyright 2022 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.; 2022.

2.            Joglekar R, Liddie J, Olson ED, Faber S, Schnettler J. The Environmental Justice Implications of PFAS. Env't L Rep. 2024;54:10911.

3.            Snedeker SM. Toxicants in Food Packaging and Household Plastics: Exposure and Health Risks to Consumers. Molecular and Integrative Toxicology. Springer; 2014.

4.            Tittlemier SA, Pepper K, Seymour C, et al. Dietary Exposure of Canadians to Perfluorinated Carboxylates and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate via Consumption of Meat, Fish, Fast Foods, and Food Items Prepared in Their Packaging. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2007/04/01 2007;55(8):3203-3210. doi:10.1021/jf0634045

Episode 2: When to get your blood tested for PFAS.

https://vimeo.com/1055803097

Download the Ambassador Slides HANDOUT to share.

Introduction

The globe has become polluted to such an extent that industrial contaminants can be found in the air, soil, water, food supply and is a cyclical problem in the trash and disposal industry.1-3 The processing and packaging of food itself and the agricultural contamination add these chemicals into the human dietary consumption chain.4, 5 Many contaminants can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin during bathing, showering, brushing the teeth, etc.

Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) represent 15,000 different variations of chemical compounds. The known health effects from PFAS exposure can be summarized as neurotoxic, carcinogenic, and fertility threat.6-8 Clinically, patients exhibit known laboratory results, signs and symptoms when exposed to PFAS including high cholesterol, low Vitamin D,  thyroid disorders, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder9-11.  There are no studies on increasing its bioelimination, yet the media has dubbed these “forever chemicals” because the original PFOS (with 8 carbons) takes over 27 years to eliminate from the body. These chemicals are still being released into the water supply in thousands of communities according to the United States Environmental Working Group.

Unfortunately, this Environmental Working Group Map is incomplete. It fails to list every environmental contamination site leaving citizens to have to test their own water and blood.  One example of a PFAS contamination site is in Springfield, Missouri where there is PFAS in the water supply due to ongoing industrial contamination.12 The PFAS is spilling into the James River that flows Southwest from Springfield to Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, which is a popular tourist destination. This water contamination is thought to be far-reaching, affecting Northwest Arkansas and is gaining the attention of tort attorneys. The PFAS level in Springfield, MO is above the limit placed by the Environmental Protection Agency at 4 parts per trillion and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has organized a PFAS Workgroup to help the community address the contamination.

In this environment, the same clinical trend in the scientific literature was visibly noticed by the staff at a busy psychiatric urgent care in Springfield, MO. Staff frequently spoke of how often otherwise healthy people had low Vitamin D, thyroid dysfunction, abnormal lipids, pain and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at all ages. In the majority of cases, these were the only medical problems these people had. The rates of abnormal labs and medications/supplements for Vitamin D, thyroid dysfunction and dyslipidemia in this vulnerable population are reported here.

Methods

Chart reviews were conducted for patients attending a psychiatric urgent care in Springfield, MO in July 2024. Inclusion criteria was having had a full panel of laboratory studies within the previous 18 months. Labs had to include a Vitamin D level, full lipid panel and full thyroid panel with at least TSH, T4 (conjucated/unconjucated), and T3 . Exclusion criteria were patients missing laboratory studies for either Vitamin D, lipid panel or thyroid panel. Age, gender, number of medical diagnoses, vitamin D supplement usage, TSH, T4 (or free T4), T3, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, calculated VLDL, calculated HDL, and statin use were studied.  

Results

Twenty-six patients were included in this study (n=26). Ages ranged from 8-68. Thirty-eight percent were male and 62% were female which is typical in outpatient psychiatric practice. Out of nine total lab tests, seven labs were above the expected 5% outliers of the reference range (Table 1). Over 73% of patients had elevated calculated LDL, 46.2% had abnormal total cholesterol, 38.5% had low Vitamin D, 30.8% had abnormal TSH values, 19.2% had low HDL, 15.4% had elevated triglycerides, and 7.7% had abnormal T3 triiodothyronine values. Thyroxine (T4) and calculated VLDL were the only tests that had less than the 5% of patients with abnormal results.

Table 1: Number of patients with and without abnormal labs. Ratios and percentages are calculated. Percentages of patients with abnormal labs over the expected 5% are highlighted in green.

Discussion

Bioaccumulation of pollutants is known to cause endocrine disruption. Early detection of bioaccumulation is important for medical surveillance efforts to understand the scope of the problem, further identify at-risk populations, and contribute to reducing the current cancer epidemic.

This study demonstrated the need for further research in epidemiologic studies, hazard identification, mitigation of pollutants, education for the public and researching detoxification outcomes.

Limitations of this study include low sample size, lack of controls for medical problems and medications (except for Vitamin D supplementation which was studied).

Recommendations

The following is recommended as a Decision Tool to help guide an individual to get a PFAS blood test. The presence of the Primary Criteria is a strong recommendation for getting a blood test for PFAS. The Secondary Criteria may also be considered to increase the recommendation likelihood for a PFAS blood test.

Primary Criteria

High Cholesterol

Low Vitamin D

ADHD or Pain

Secondary Criteria

Neurological complaint (pain, impulsivity, autism, etc)

Endocrine disorder

Infertility

Cancer

References

1.            Pizzorno J. Fluorocarbons (PFAS)-The Forever Chemicals. Integr Med (Encinitas). Dec 2023;22(6):6-10.

2.            National Academies of Sciences E, Medicine, Health, et al. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. National Academies Press (US)

Copyright 2022 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.; 2022.

3.            Stoiber T, Evans S, Naidenko OV. Disposal of products and materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A cyclical problem. Chemosphere. Dec 2020;260:127659. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127659

4.            Snedeker SM. Toxicants in Food Packaging and Household Plastics: Exposure and Health Risks to Consumers. Molecular and Integrative Toxicology. Springer; 2014.

5.            Tittlemier SA, Pepper K, Seymour C, et al. Dietary Exposure of Canadians to Perfluorinated Carboxylates and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate via Consumption of Meat, Fish, Fast Foods, and Food Items Prepared in Their Packaging. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2007/04/01 2007;55(8):3203-3210. doi:10.1021/jf0634045

6.            Joglekar R, Liddie J, Olson ED, Faber S, Schnettler J. The Environmental Justice Implications of PFAS. Env't L Rep. 2024;54:10911.

7.            Rosato I, Bonato T, Fletcher T, Batzella E, Canova C. Estimation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) half-lives in human studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Research. 2024/02/01/ 2024;242:117743. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117743

8.            Brown-Leung JM, Cannon JR. Neurotransmission Targets of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Neurotoxicity: Mechanisms and Potential Implications for Adverse Neurological Outcomes. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2022/08/15 2022;35(8):1312-1333. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00072

9.            Nelson JW, Hatch EE, Webster TF. Exposure to polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and cholesterol, body weight, and insulin resistance in the general U.S. population. Environ Health Perspect. Feb 2010;118(2):197-202. doi:10.1289/ehp.0901165

10.          Zhao H, Ren Y, Ni J, et al. Sex-specific association of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure with vitamin D concentrations in older adults in the USA: an observational study. Environmental Health. 2024/11/18 2024;23(1):100. doi:10.1186/s12940-024-01140-9

11.          Coperchini F, Croce L, Ricci G, et al. Thyroid Disrupting Effects of Old and New Generation PFAS. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:612320. doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.612320

12.          Mieze M. City Utilities sues 3M for knowingly contaminating James River with 'forever chemicals'. Springfield News-Leader. June 5, 2024. https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2024/06/05/3m-sued-by-city-utilities-for-knowingly-contaminating-water/73979279007/