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In Study 1, alcohol intoxication was measured among bar patrons; as blood alcohol level increased, so did political conservatism (controlling for sex, education, and political identification).

In Study 2, participants under cognitive load reported more conservative attitudes than their no-load counterparts.

In Study 3, time pressure increased participants’ endorsement of conservative terms.

In Study 4, participants considering political terms in a cursory manner endorsed conservative terms more than those asked to cogitate; an indicator of effortful thought (recognition memory) partially mediated the relationship between processing effort and conservatism.

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Figure 1 shows the Mercury Toxicity model that provides a macroepigenetic explanation of
how human neurodevelopment can be adversely impacted when gene expression is altered by
dietary transcription factors such as zinc insufficiency or deficiency, or by exposure to toxic
substances found in our environment, such as the heavy metals mercury and copper [4].
Elimination of heavy metals requires the expression of the metallothionein (MT) gene, which
synthesizes the Zn-dependent metal binding protein metallothionein [15]. With dietary zinc
(Zn) loss and copper (Cu) gain from the consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
[16], metabolic processes required to eliminate heavy metals are impaired in children with
autism [4]. Mercury has been found in samples of high fructose corn syrup and is allowable
in trace amounts in certain food colors so long as the concentration does not exceed one
part per million [17,18]. Mercury (Hg) and specific other heavy metals, including lead (Pb),
copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), silver (Ag) and bismuth (Bi), are capable of displacing the Zn
atom in the MT protein molecule [15]. This ‘pathogenic’ displacement of Zn impairs the MT
molecule and its ability to pick up the heavy metal and carry it out of the body. If the diet is
deficient in Zn or the absorption of Zn is impaired, then the body may not produce enough
MT protein to carry and excrete the heavy metal load [19,20]. Children with autism may be
Zn deficient and often have MT dysfunction [21-23]. Because of their diminished capacity to
excrete toxic heavy metals, the severity of their condition is associated with their toxic metal
burden [24]. This macroepigenetic model proposes that autism prevalence is related to the
consumption of HFCS and the overall exposure to Hg in the U.S. [4]. However, other dietary
factors associated with the consumption of HFCS may further contribute to the development
of autism in the U.S.

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Originally posted by Geezer:

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In Study 1, alcohol intoxication was measured among bar patrons; as blood alcohol level increased, so did political conservatism (controlling for sex, education, and political identification).

In Study 2, participants under cognitive load reported more conservative attitudes than their no-load counterparts.

In Study 3, time pressure increased participants’ endorsement of conservative terms.

In Study 4, participants considering political terms in a cursory manner endorsed conservative terms more than those asked to cogitate; an indicator of effortful thought (recognition memory) partially mediated the relationship between processing effort and conservatism.

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So people who don't drink, don't have anything else to think about, don't have anything to get done, and have a lot of spare time to deliberate tend to be more liberal?

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
And exposure to HFCS during pregnancy doesn't make every child automatically susceptible to mineral imbalances and autism, so there's probably something happening on the individual level.

But, I agree, HFCS is bad, and this is also a good start to exploring this possibility.

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Originally posted by BigDamnNobody:
And we certainly know which side of the fence people without a sense of humor are on.

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