But they’re also poisoning us.

Because their use is so widespread, they’re practically impossible to avoid, and even harder to eliminate — hence their nickname, “forever chemicals.”

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PFAS molecules have a chain of linked carbon and fluorine atoms. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest, these chemicals do not degrade easily in the environment, your home or your body.

“Every person in the United States, essentially, is walking around with PFAS in their body,” says Dr. Jennifer Schlezinger, a Boston University School of Public Health professor of environmental health.

Except now, purely by happenstance, Dr. Schlezinger may have found a ridiculously easy way to start ridding our bodies of these chemicals…

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Lowering cholesterol and cleansing PFAS

Perfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, are used to make coats waterproof, pans nonstick and furniture stain-resistant.

You’ll also find PFAS in food wrap and containers, cosmetics and personal care products, increasing the ways we are exposed.

Some research shows PFAS are excreted in urine, but it takes nearly four years for levels to drop by half. So, they build up in concentration. Continuous exposure ensures a cycle in which they are never entirely removed from your body.

The damage they do to our health is linked to breast and testicular cancer, the death of our brain cells and the destruction of our immune systems.

Dr. Schlezinger has long studied the role of environmental toxins in disease development and adverse health effects. But it was a personal quest to lower her cholesterol levels that inadvertently led to a solution to remove forever chemicals from our bodies — and it’s something anyone can do.

Taking a drug-free approach, Dr. Schlezinger discovered that cholestyramine, a gel-forming dietary fiber, could help reduce her cholesterol.  

When taken with meals, cholestyramine binds to bile acids, eliminating them from the body through normal digestive processes. The body has to replace the lost bile acid, so it draws cholesterol from the blood to do so, thus reducing cholesterol levels.

Bile acid and PFAS are both surfactants. They are built to stick to fiber. Dr. Schlezinger wondered if gel-forming fibers could help expel PFAS just as they do with bile acids.

In clinical trials using an oat beta-glucan supplement (a gel-forming fiber), Dr. Schlezinger indeed found a statistically significant effect on PFAS levels.

She is continuing her work to find the optimal gel-forming fiber to decrease PFAS levels.

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A healthy step in the right direction

Despite the success of her initial trials, Dr Schlezinger wants to be clear about a few things…

One, she is not recommending a high-fiber diet to lower cholesterol or to remove PFAS. A supplement is much more accessible. For example, she’s testing a fiber known as psyllium, the key ingredient in Metamucil.

Second, she’s not implying that taking a fiber supplement for a few months will eliminate PFAS from your body. It’s unclear how long it could take.

But it appears to be a step in the right direction. The vast majority of Americans consume nowhere near the recommended daily fiber intake.

Dr. Schlezinger has been taking a scoop of oat beta-glucan in pomegranate juice before meals, and her cholesterol is back to normal.

But if gelled fiber is not appealing to you, there is another option that holds promise…

Probiotics. Research has shown that some gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from the gut environment at a range of concentrations and store these in clumps inside their cells.

Mice with these bacteria had more PFAS in their stool, meaning they were able to help it exit their bodies.

Staying regular may also reduce the amount of time PFAS spend in the gut, where they can leak through the gut barrier into the bloodstream.

Regardless of how effective these methods are, they also offer other health benefits and may be our best chance to reduce our PFAS exposure somewhat.

Sources:

Supplement could help remove forever chemicals from the body — Futurity

An oat fiber intervention for reducing PFAS body burden: A pilot study in male C57Bl/6 J mice — Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

The post The cholesterol fix that sweeps forever chemicals away appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Despite efforts to find alternatives, PFAS are still present in all kinds of products we use and consume — new clothes, takeout containers, cosmetics, personal care products, nonstick cookware and stain-resistant furniture and rugs, just to name a few.

PFAS are linked with numerous health impacts, including celiac disease, liver damage, certain types of cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and decreased fertility. They’re also linked to higher risks for diabetes, obesity, asthma and thyroid disease.

So, what can be done? Even if we stopped using all products containing PFAS today, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS are detectable in nearly all people living in the United States.

Luckily, a recent discovery points to a possible solution — and it’s one that already resides in your body….

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Gut bacteria help remove PFAS

Bacteria that encounter chemicals like pesticides have mechanisms to deal with them. For example, studies have already seen that gut bacteria can pick up and store unintended targets such as pharmaceuticals. But it wasn’t known if the same could happen with pollutants like PFAS.

To find out, an international team of researchers exposed human gut bacteria to two common forms of PFAS and other pollutants. And the results were encouraging…

Multiple bacterial strains, including E. coli, absorbed PFAS in lab dishes, storing the chemicals in clumps inside their cells, according to Dr. Kiran Patil, a molecular biologist at the University of Cambridge and senior author of the study.

“We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells,” Patil says. “Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.”

Even better, the gut bacteria of so-called “humanized” mice, whose intestines have been cleared of existing microbes and replaced with nine kinds of microbes that live in human guts, had more PFAS in their poop than microbe-free mice. This suggests that gut bacteria can carry forever chemicals out of the body in feces.

The researchers also discovered that as the mice were exposed to increasing levels of PFAS, the microbes worked harder, consistently removing the same percentage of the chemicals.

Within minutes of exposure, the bacteria absorbed between 25% and 74% of the PFAS.

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Could probiotics flush out PFAS?

The results are certainly promising. Next, researchers could track differences in gut microbiomes and PFAS levels in people from the same place, to see if the same method is just efficient at clearing these chemicals from our bodies

They are already planning to use these findings to create probiotic dietary supplements that boost the levels of these helpful microbes in the gut to protect against the toxic effects of PFAS.

In the meantime, the researchers suggest several actions we can take to protect ourselves against PFAS, including avoiding PFAS-coated cookware and using a good water filter. While it’s challenging to remove PFAS from your drinking water, some filtration techniques are more effective than others. Granular activated carbon absorption filters, ion exchange resin filters and reverse osmosis filters work the best.

Keeping your gut healthy by promoting a balanced microbiome is always a good idea, if for no other reason than to avoid leaky gut. Over time, the gut lining can become permeable and allow chemicals that would normally be excreted in waste to find their way into the bloodstream.

If you have problems with constipation, be sure to address them. Slow motility — which references the amount of time it takes for waste to leave your body — allows the bad stuff to sit in your colon long enough to be absorbed into your colon walls, where it also can make its way into the bloodstream. To test your motility speed, try this at-home test.

Sources:

Gut microbes may flush ‘forever chemicals’ from the body — ScienceNews

Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’ — University of Cambridge

Human gut bacteria bioaccumulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — Nature Microbiology

The post Could we actually poop out ‘forever chemicals’? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Microplastics carry endocrine-disrupting chemicals through your bloodstream, but that’s not all…

Microplastics are a kind of ‘magnet’ for environmental pollutants, concentrating them on their surfaces, ‘ferrying’ them through our digestive tract and releasing them in a concentrated form in areas throughout the body where they can cause increased toxicity.

They damage our liver and kidneys. They can even breach the blood-brain barrier that’s supposed to keep harmful pathogens out.

And then there’s the damage they do to our hearts.

A recent study is giving us a warning about something a lot of us do that leaves us wide open to heart failure.

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Hot plastic takeout containers could damage your heart structure

The authors of a study at Ningxia Medical University in China state unequivocally that “it is essential to avoid using plastic containers for high-temperature food.”

Their work was prompted by a survey of 3,179 Chinese adults where those who reported higher exposure to plastics were more likely to suffer congestive heart failure.

Over the course of three months, the researchers fed 24 rodents the chemicals that are leached from plastic containers when they are heated by boiling tap water. These include BPA and phthalates, both of which have a known connection to heart disease.

Rats who consumed a cocktail of plastic contaminants for just three months showed the following changes in their heart tissue:

• broken or misaligned fibers
• inflammatory cells
• mitochondrial swelling
• bleeding between myocardial cells (muscular heart tissue)

Whether or not the same occurs in the human body is unknown for now, but the findings suggest that you should think twice before bringing home hot food in takeout containers.

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How can you protect yourself from microplastics?

This is far from the first time that chemicals from microplastics have been tied to harming the heart.

So how do you steer clear of microplastics? Do you have to stop eating takeout food entirely?

You could, which would assure you that you’re not consuming volatile particles with your hot food.

But let’s face it – most of us aren’t going to do that.

Remember, your choices can significantly reduce your exposure to these harmful particles.

First, try to cook at home often, reserving takeout food for an emergency go-to.

Here are a few more tips:

• Don’t use Styrofoam. Polystyrene (what Styrofoam is made of) nanoparticles are able to cross the protective blood-brain barrier and enter the bloodstream. Research on mice showed that it happened in just 2 hours. Avoid hot drinks or food in this packaging!
• Don’t drink bottled water. Again, it is convenient, but the level of microplastics is about twice the level you’d get from drinking tap water.
• Wash plastic dishes by hand. High heat from your dishwasher can cause a release of microplastics from your dishes. This means that you should always wash your plastic dishes by hand.
• Eat fresh food. Packaged foods wrapped in plastic can shed microplastic flakes that contaminate your food. As much as possible, stick with fresh produce that isn’t wrapped or stored in plastic.

Sources:

Your Takeaway Food Packaging Could Increase Your Risk of Heart Failure — Science Alert

Effects of leachate from disposable plastic takeout containers on the cardiovascular system after thermal contact — Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Plastic Found In More Than 50% of Plaques From Clogged Arteries — Science Alert

Microplastics in take-out food containers — Journal of Hazardous Materials

The post Harms of microplastics linked to heart failure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The most shocking might be perchlorate, a chemical found in rocket fuel (yes, you read that right!), fireworks, flares and matches.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to set a limit on perchlorate levels in water even though anyone with common sense might think any rocket fuel — at all — is way too much, considering the chemical has been linked to brain damage in infants and children and can damage our thyroids.

As if drinking rocket fuel isn’t bad enough, you and your family may be eating it as well…

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Perchlorate in your food

A study from Consumer Reports indicates perchlorate has contaminated our food supply. Scientists analyzed 196 samples of 63 grocery store products and 10 fast food items. About 67 percent of the samples had measurable levels of perchlorate ranging from just over two parts per billion (ppb) to 79 ppb.

When looking at general categories, these had the highest levels of perchlorate:

• Baby/kid food, averaging 19.4 ppb
• Fruits and vegetables, averaging 9.3 ppb
• Fast food, averaging 7.7 ppb
• Baked products and grains, averaging 6.9 ppb
• Dairy, averaging 6.2 ppb
• Meat products, averaging 5.3 ppb

How much ‘rocket fuel’ is safe?

According to Consumer Reports, in 2005, the EPA established an “official reference dose” for perchlorate of 0.7 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. This means the EPA considers this to be a safe exposure level.

However, many food experts think this level is too high. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set a tolerable daily intake of less than half that amount: 0.3 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.

While none of the foods tested had perchlorate levels high enough for one serving to exceed the EFSA or EPA’s suggested daily limits, children may be especially vulnerable because of their lower body weight.

For instance, a serving of the boxed mac and cheese the scientists tested would hit nearly 50 percent of the EFSA limit for perchlorate in a child between 1 and 2 years old. And servings of the baby rice cereal, baby multigrain cereal and organic yogurt tested would each hit about a quarter of the EFSA limit. That means with one serving of each of those foods, a child would exceed the EFSA’s safe daily limit.

And even if you’re feeding your child healthy food, they still may quickly go over the limit. One serving of cucumbers, baby carrots and collard greens would each exceed 50 percent of the EFSA daily limit for children between ages 1 and 2.

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Danger to the thyroid

Now for the bad news: there isn’t much you can do to avoid consuming perchlorate through your food. Even eating a healthy diet can put you at risk, since perchlorate is found in fruits and vegetables. You can (and should) wash your fruits and vegetables in filtered water before you consume them, which might at least remove any surface-level contaminants.

Also, it’s best to avoid consuming fast food, mac and cheese and processed chicken products like chicken nuggets, since those all contain high levels of perchlorates and are unhealthy for other reasons. And definitely don’t feed those to your kids.

Consuming unsafe levels of perchlorate can affect the thyroid by interfering with iodide uptake into the thyroid gland. Iodide is the salt form of iodine, a mineral crucial to proper thyroid function. This disrupts thyroid functions and could lead to a reduction in thyroid hormone production. That makes perchlorates endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

“Thyroid hormones affect metabolism, and having bad thyroid function could lead, in this case, to type 2 diabetes,” Dr. James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, told USA Today. Disruption of the thyroid can also affect the development of the central nervous system in fetuses and infants.

While you may not be able to avoid eating rocket fuel, you can help protect your thyroid function by getting enough iodine. You can eat foods rich in iodide like iodized salt, organic yogurt, cranberries, navy beans and sea vegetables like kelp and wakame. Or you can supplement if your iodine levels are dangerously low.

Also, you can help optimize thyroid function and increase thyroid hormone efficiency by combining iodine with the amino acid L-Tyrosine.

There is one bit of good news: the EPA says it will set limits on perchlorate by Nov. 21, 2025, according to Consumer Reports. Hopefully, they will begin to regulate the disposal of this dangerous chemical so those perchlorate levels don’t go any higher. We may be stuck with what of it has already polluted our waters and soil as it is a “forever chemical.”

Sources:

Is your family eating rocket fuel? Consumer Reports study finds chemical in food, water — USA Today

Why Rocket Fuel Has Been Contaminating Our Food and Water for Years — Consumer Reports

Perchlorate in Food — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The post Rocket fuel: The toxic danger lurking in our food appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Research from 2014 shows that around 70 percent of Americans now have detectable levels of glyphosate in their bodies compared to only 12 percent in the mid-1970s. Yikes. And an even more recent study found that every participant had detectable levels of glyphosate in them.

Of course, glyphosates aren’t the only pesticides that are likely in your system. There are dozens of different pesticides used on our food, many of which have been linked to hormone disruption, developmental problems, immune system issues, neurological effects and more.

I know all this is a downer to think about. But I have good news, too. New research shows that you can clear as much of 70 percent of glyphosate from your body (and a large percentage of the other pesticides) in just six days by eating one particular type of diet. Any guesses what type? An organic one, of course!

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5 pesticides organic eating clears from your system quick

The environmental nonprofit Friends of the Earth conducted a study on the impact organic eating has on pesticide levels in our bodies. And the results were pretty amazing…

In the study, researchers asked four American families to eat a non-organic diet for six days and then switch over to an entirely organic diet for another six days. During both diets, researchers tested pesticide levels in the bodies of these families, and here’s what they found

Eating an organic diet for just six days reduced the amount of detectable pesticides in their bodies by an average of 60.5 percent.

Researchers found 16 pesticides, along with pesticide metabolites (compounds produced by the body when it breaks these chemicals down) in every study participant. They said their findings indicate that each person was exposed to 40 different types of pesticides. Here are the ones they witnessed the most dramatic drops in after participants started eating organic diets:

1. Organophosphates

Organophosphates are neurotoxic pesticides that have been linked to things like autism, learning disabilities and low IQs in children. After eating an organic diet, metabolites for two types of organophosphates — malathion and chlorpyrifos — decreased by 95 and 61 percent.

2. Neonicotinoids

Neonicotinoids are known endocrine disruptors, and they are also linked to developmental disorders. On top of that, they’re believed to play a role in the dramatic decline in pollinating insects we’ve experienced in recent years. After eating an organic diet, levels of the neonicotinoid clothianidin dropped 83 percent.

3. Pyrethroids

Pyrethroids are tied to endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental issues, immunological problems, an increased risk of Parkinson’s and sperm DNA damage. But in this study, eating organic slashed pyrethroid levels in half.

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4. Glyphosate

As the active ingredient in RoundUp, glyphosate is probably the most widely recognized pesticide. Besides being a suspected carcinogen, it’s also linked to kidney damage and reproductive issues. Luckily, eating organic lowered glyphosate levels by 70 percent.

5. 2,4-D

2,4-D is one of the ingredients that was used in Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. It’s linked to endocrine disruption, thyroid problems, an increased risk of Parkinson’s, a higher risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, damage to the liver, immune system impairment and more. Organic eating lowered 2,4-D levels by 36 percent.

Time to go all-in on organic eating

So, if you’re concerned about pesticides and the impact they have on your health, you know what you need to do… go all-in on organic eating.

It’s not easy (or cheap) to eat an all-organic diet, but if you can make it happen, it could have a remarkable impact on your long-term health. And remember… the food you eat doesn’t have to be USDA certified organic as long as you know pesticides weren’t used on it. That means growing foods in your backyard works and so does buying from small farms you trust who can’t afford to jump through hoops to get certified.

Sources:

6. The Study — Friends of the Earth.
7. You have pesticides in your body. But an organic diet can reduce them by 70% — The Guardian.
8. Organic diet intervention significantly reduces urinary pesticide levels in U.S. children and adults — Environmental Research.

The post The diet that gets most glyphosate out of your body in just 6 days appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Or looking into the mirror and wondering if you’ll ever be able to lose the weight around your belly, hips and thighs — no matter how much calorie counting you’ve done.

Is it your diet? Are hormones to blame? Or could it be something much sneakier — like the air you breathe?

That last one may seem ridiculous, but according to researchers from the University of Michigan, the air you breathe may not be high in calories — but it’s high in something else that can pack on the pounds…

Weight gain in every breath

Researchers delved into data from close to 1,700 women with an average age of 50, tracking them for approximately eight years.

Specifically, the team kept tabs on the women’s body mass index (BMI), weight, waist circumference and body fat, comparing it to the annual air pollution in the area where each lived.

And sure enough, the scientists discovered that being exposed to increased levels of pollution can tip the scale toward obesity.

The results showed that exposure to air pollution was linked with higher body fat, a higher proportion of fat and lower lean mass.

In fact, air pollution caused an increase in body fat of 4.5 percent or about 2.6 pounds.

But how can simply being in a more polluted area cause you to pack on the pounds?

It all has to do with obesogens.

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Obesogens — a recipe for weight gain

Obesogens are chemicals that actually tip the balance and development of lipid metabolism to the dark side by disrupting your thyroid and liver function.

Your thyroid stops pumping out the hormones that keep your metabolism revved and your body burning off calories. And your liver becomes clogged with fat cells packed with those nasty chemicals.

When this happens the systems that normally regulate your body weight stop working the way they should and it can become virtually impossible to keep your weight at a healthy level.

To top it off, obesogens even send signals to your body that prompt it to make new, supersized fat cells, so that it’s easier for your body to store more fat and the pounds to accumulate.

It’s the perfect storm that stops you from losing weight and instead can keep you gaining.

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Beating the obesogen problem

Luckily, there are things you can do, even if you live in an area with high levels of air pollution.

First, the study that discovered the problem also found a potential fix.

After exploring the interaction between air pollution and physical activity on body composition, the researchers found that high levels of physical activity can mitigate the damage done by air pollution.

In other words, exercise, exercise and more exercise.

You can also support your liver. In addition to clearing contaminants from your body, your liver is responsible for breaking down fat, converting some for energy stores while synthesizing other fat, like cholesterol.It can’t adequately do all those jobs and fight toxic obesogens.

But certain foods and supplements can help take the load off the liver by helping cleanse and protect your body from pollutants.

It’s also important to improve your home’s air quality in order to minimize the pollutants you’re exposed to daily.

And don’t forget to hydrate. Water is vital to support your body as you eliminate the obesogens that make fat stick like glue.

Sources:

Air pollution tips the scale for obesity in women – ScienceDaily

The post It’s not your diet: Why breathing is making us fat appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Like air traffic controllers at the airport, your hormones keep things running smoothly, regulating all of your body’s functions: digestion, metabolism, body temperature, appetite, reproduction, and blood sugar.

When you’re exposed to toxic endocrine disruptors that hijack those hormones, things can crash and burn pretty quickly, often with severe and lasting effects on your health.

Among the worst of these chemical hormone hijackers are pesticides. They can stay in your body for years, doing their dirty work.

The fresh fruits and vegetables you buy at the grocery store are likely covered with an invisible pesticide residue. Pesticides seep into the soil from manufacturing plants and farms.

Ironically, it’s your liver — your body’s detoxifying organ — that bears the brunt of a lot of damage from pesticides. Lucky for us, there’s a safe and natural remedy that can give your liver a boost and help it keep on working to keep your body free from invaders.

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How milk thistle supports the liver

Milk thistle has a long history of being used to support and detoxify the liver.

Ancient Greek naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote that milk thistle was excellent for “carrying off the bile.” Later on, in the 17th century, English physician Nicholas Culpepper used milk thistle to cleanse the liver and spleen and to treat jaundice and gallstones.

Silymarin, the active chemical in milk thistle, is approved in the German Commission E Monographs (the most accurate information available on the safety of herbs) as a supportive treatment for inflammatory liver conditions such as cirrhosis, hepatitis and fatty liver disease.

Silymarin is an antioxidant that scavenges for the free radicals that damage cells that are exposed to toxins.

It also boosts levels of the antioxidants glutathione and superoxide dismutase in the liver, both of which protect your liver from free radical damage.

How milk thistle fights metabolic problems

Besides pesticides, your liver is bombarded daily by other environmental toxins. Chemicals like radon, formaldehyde, and toxic heavy metals often hide in plain sight in your furniture, in your home, or in the air you breathe.

To guarantee that they can remain in your body and do their dirty work, these chemicals interfere with your body’s “full” signal, so that you end up overeating. They also cause your body to produce more fat cells (where toxins are easily stored).

On top of that, they team up to wreak havoc on your blood sugar, digestion and cholesterol levels, all of which can affect your weight.

As you can imagine, it’s nearly impossible for your body to maintain a healthy weight while under the influence of these toxins.

Silymarin helps your liver break down fats more efficiently and supports one of the liver’s basic jobs: to monitor your blood sugar by making just enough glucose available for your energy needs, but not so much that it causes weight gain. In fact, a study on mice found it reduced insulin resistance and cholesterol levels.

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How to take milk thistle

Milk thistle is available in tinctures, tablets, soft gels, liquids and capsules, so you can choose the form that works best for you. Your local health food store should carry at least a few of these.

Just steer clear of milk thistle tea. It only contains a small dose of the beneficial compound silymarin, which doesn’t dissolve well in water.

Look for a supplement that contains 70 to 80 percent silymarin as its active ingredient and take anywhere from 300mg to 900mg per day. People who are treating liver issues can take as much as 400mg to 600mg, three times per day. When in doubt, follow manufacturer guidelines.

Make sure to check with your doctor first if you’re on any medications to rule out interactions, especially if you take diazepam, warfarin and some diabetes medications.

Sources:

Adverse effects of organophosphorus pesticides on the liver: a brief summary of four decades of research — Sciendo

Adipose Tissue as a Site of Toxin Accumulation — Comprehensive Physiology

Toxic environment and obesity pandemia: Is there a relationship? — Italian Journal of Pediatrics

The sneaky ingredient that keeps the weight from coming off — Easy Health Options

Silymarin: A Potent Antioxidant, Liver Protector, and Anti-Cancer Agent — US Smart Publications

What are the benefits of milk thistle? — Medical News Today

The post Milk thistle: Liver support for better cholesterol, blood sugar and weight appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

• We go out of our way to buy BPA-free items in order to avoid its dangerous side effects.
• We buy stainless steel water bottles.
• We avoid eating off of plastic dishes or heating them in the microwave.
• We switch to ceramic coated rather than non-stick cookware.

But what if I told you that there could be an even more dangerous substance than BPA lurking in the dishes you use to serve your food every day — one that could poison your body, cause behavior and learning problems in your children and skyrocket your risk for heart disease?

Well, that’s exactly what one family discovered had happened to them…

The culprit discovered in traditional ceramic dishes

It all started when their three-year-old was found to have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. When the family was screened, it turned out that all five members were suffering from lead poisoning.

In fact, routine screening found that the three-year-old’s blood lead level was sitting at seven micrograms per deciliter (ug/dl), when the CDC rates the highest safe amount at five ug/dl.

If you think that’s bad though, hold onto your hat…

The child’s older siblings had lead levels of 17 and 53 ug/dl, as did the parents!

So the CDC launched an investigation, discovering the culprit in what most of us would consider an unlikely place — the traditional ceramic dished the family had purchased in Mexico for cooking, storage and for making coffee.

While this may sound strange, researchers say it’s more common than you might think.

“Traditional ceramic ware from around the world has been found to contain lead at levels thousands of times higher than regulatory limits in the United States,” they say.

That’s because even though lead levels are heavily regulated in the U.S., other countries still often use dangerous levels of the heavy metal in the glaze and paints used on their ceramics, which can then slip into the foods and drinks that are prepared, served or stored in the dishes.

And once it’s in your body, that lead goes to work slowly destroying your nervous system, causing cognitive and memory issues and even leading to an early death if not taken care of.

Luckily, for this family, the problem was caught before irreversible damage was done and a year after replacing their dishes, their levels had almost returned to normal.

But it’s a warning to us all about how quickly and easily dangerous poisons can wreak havoc on our systems.

Keeping yourself and your family safe

So if you have traditional ceramic dishes, a replacement set might be in order.

The CDC lists dishes made in Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey and Uzbekistan as potential dangers.

If you have ceramic dishes and are unsure where yours were made, you should also consider having your blood levels checked for lead.

Chelation is a good way to cleanse your system of lead and other heavy metals that have already found their way in. Chelators bind to these substances and remove them, safely — through your waste.

If you want to learn more about chelation, here’s a good place to start. 

EDTA chelation, which was first used when sailors painting military ships were contaminated with lethal levels of lead. The U.S. Navy relied on intravenous EDTA treatment to quickly eliminate deadly toxins from their bloodstream. And it’s also available in supplement form.

Sources:

NYC family find out their Mexican ceramic dishes had dangerous levels of LEAD on them after youngest child had high levels of chemical in their blood – DailyMail.com

The post The surprising way an entire family got lead poisoning appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We’re inundated with commercials telling us if we join this or that program and eat their special pre-packaged meals mailed to your doorstep, the pounds will drop.

Maybe you’ve given them a try or followed a weight loss diet at home, working out on top of all of that — but the scale keeps going up.

Let me be the first to tell you to stop beating yourself up.

According to research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, it’s definitely not all your fault…

If you hate your scale, blame plastic

The researchers say that, while it may sound strange, the chemicals in plastic may be the reason visiting your bathroom scale is unpleasant.

Their study took a hard look at 34 different plastic products to get an idea of which chemicals they contained and how many. They chose normal products that you and I are very likely exposed to every day, like yogurt containers, water bottles and kitchen sponges.

And you won’t believe the results…

They determined that those 34 plastic products contained over 55,000 chemicals. (No, that’s not a misprint.)

And they leach into our bodies. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t sign up for that.

While we don’t know as much as we should about all of them — the researchers say, for a fact, that 11 of the chemicals they found interfere with our metabolism.

Additionally, chemicals from one-third of the plastic products investigated were found to contribute to “fat cell development.” In lab experiments, they actually spurred the production of more fat cells and the accumulation of more fat.

What’s really frightening is that even the products that didn’t have known metabolism-disrupting chemicals also triggered fat cell development and “fattening.”

“Our experiments show that ordinary plastic products contain a mix of substances that can be a relevant and underestimated factor behind overweight and obesity,” says Martin Wagner, an associate professor at NTNU’s Department of Biology.

And his colleague, Johannes Völker, the first author of the study, weighed in with more explaining, “It’s very likely that it is not the usual suspects, such as Bisphenol A, causing these metabolic disturbances. This means that plastic chemicals other than the ones we already know could be contributing to overweight and obesity.”

Reduce your toxic burden and support the breakdown of fat

So what in the world can you do if chemicals from the plastic that surrounds you are busy encouraging your fat cells to multiply and store even more fat, when clearly diet alone isn’t going to fix the issue?

Well, I’ll be honest and say that there’s no perfect answer as long as companies keep using plastic. It’s cheap and they have little incentive to do otherwise.

But that doesn’t mean that we’re helpless.

First, it’s important to avoid as much plastic exposure as possible. This means:

• Skipping bottled water and investing in a high-quality water filter for your house
• Buying organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible
• Avoiding fast food, since plastic is in the coating of every wrapper and container
• Choosing to cook fresh rather than packaged foods

Additionally, encouraging your body to detox from what’s already accumulated could help at least diminish what’s already built up in your tissues.

And since your liver is your main detox organ, keeping it running optimally is the place to start—especially since we sometimes forget that the liver also helps the body break down fats. This means the plastic onslaught has it doing double duty.

I recommend taking the following supplements to support your liver so that it can better do its job:

• N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) – This powerful amino acid promotes gentle detoxification while offering liver support.
• Milk Thistle – Milk thistle has been found to help support the elimination of heavy metal build-up, medication residue (which is often packed with plastics), environmental pollutants and alcohol.
• Turmeric – This herb helps guard the liver from oxidative stress and promotes healthy liver function.
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) – ALA is a potent antioxidant that helps keep fats from accumulating in the liver.
• Selenium – This trace element helps promote detoxification.

Sources:

Chemicals in plastic may contribute to weight gain – EurekAlert!

The post ‘Everyday’ plastics mess with metabolism, increase fat cells appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet that’s what most of us have been doing for a long time, and the problem is getting more serious.

We already know that microplastic particles, many of which are invisible to the naked eye, have made their way into our food and water supplies.

And we know that they’re full of hormone disruptors such as PCB and pthalates.

Now, research has found that those plastic particles we’re unknowingly consuming are poisoning us in an entirely different and alarming way.

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Microplastic is a magnet for toxic substances

A new study by Tel Aviv University researchers has found that microplastics are poisonous to us not just on their own, but because they transport other poisons into our bodies.

Dr. Ines Zucker of the University’s School of Mechanical Engineering conducted a study where she examined the entire process that microplastic undergoes before we ingest it.

This starts with the decomposition of plastic waste, such as the rings from six-packs of soda, but it doesn’t end there.

Once these microparticles are formed, they are released into our environment, including our crops (through the soil) and our sources of drinking water. Once there, they come into contact with all sorts of other toxic substances that, sadly, we have also released into the environment.

“In this study, we showed that even very low concentrations of environmental pollutants, which are non-toxic to humans, result in a significant increase in toxicity once adsorbed to the microplastic,” Dr. Zucker explains.

“This is because microplastics are a kind of ‘magnet’ for environmental pollutants, concentrating them on its surfaces, ‘ferrying’ them through our digestive tract, and releasing them in a concentrated form in certain areas – thus causing increased toxicity.”

Dr. Zucker’s study also revealed that, when toxins are ingested along with microplastic particles, they become up to ten times more toxic than if they were ingested on their own.

“After the environmental pollutants adsorb to the microplastic, the pre-loaded particle may reach the digestive tract through the ingestion of contaminated food and water, where it releases the toxins in close proximity to the cells of the digestive tract, thus increasing the toxicity of these substances.”

In other words, poisons that “hitch a ride” on microplastic particles can get a lot closer to the walls of our cells, where they can easily enter our bloodstream, and in a much more concentrated form.

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How to avoid being poisoned

The best solution is to avoid microplastics as much as humanly possible.

One of the worst offenders is Styrofoam. It’s found in takeout containers, packing material, and even in those little trays the supermarket uses to package your “healthy” produce.

Other places where microplastics hide include:

• Bottled water. According to a study reported in Smithsonian Magazine, if you drink only from plastic water bottles, you may ingest 90,000 microplastic particles each year, compared to 4,000 if you stick to tap water.
• Plastic dishes. High heat can cause them to release microplastics. This means that you should keep them out of the microwave, and wash them by hand, rather than in the dishwasher.
• Buy organic. This includes produce, meat, seafood and especially shellfish
• Detox. Consider EDTA chelation therapy to remove toxins and microplastics your body has already accumulated.

Sources:

Microplastics increase toxicity of organic pollutants in the environment by a factor of 10  — technology.org

Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity — Science Direct

Americans May Be Ingesting Thousands of Microplastics Every Year — Smithsonian Magazine

The post Microplastic ‘magnets’ deliver poisons to your bloodstream appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, research has proven that these tiny, toxic plastics, which contain dangerous compounds like BPA and phthalates can actually be absorbed by crops through their roots, where they’re transferred to the parts of the plants we eat.

Scarily enough, they’re not only in our vegetables, they’re lurking in our meat and dairy and waiting to be eaten in our seafood.

They come part and parcel with every bottle of water you drink and every meal you purchase in a takeout container.

And these tiny pieces of plastic, less than five millimeters in length, have been linked to health concerns ranging from obesity and fertility problems to developmental delays in children. Since evidence shows they can ignore the blood-brain barrier and simply slip right across, scientists believe they may also play a role in nervous system disorders or even cancer.

And if that weren’t already enough, there’s more…

According to a team of researchers who studies the fecal matter of patients with gut issues, those plastics could also be the root cause of irritable bowel disease.

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Increased risk, increased symptoms

Their study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology set out to analyze the level of microplastics in the fecal samples of 102 people (approximately half of whom were living with irritable bowel disease or IBD).

Participants were also asked to complete a survey on how often they drank from bottled water, ate takeout food and were exposed to dust.

So what did they find?

Their results proved that people with IBD had approximately 1.5 times more microplastic particles per gram of feces than people who did not suffer from the disease.

To top it off, patients with IBD who had higher levels of the microplastics in their feces were more likely to report far more intense symptoms.

In other words, more microplastics equal a higher risk of IBD and increasing levels of discomfort.

According to the researchers, more microplastics were found in the feces of participants who drank bottled water, ate from takeout containers and who were exposed to large amounts of dust.

They were even able to show that the microplastics that had made it in and through their digestive systems were mostly shaped like sheets and fibers. And the most common plastics particles discovered were polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is found in plastic bottles and containers, and polyamide (PA), which is used in packaging and textiles, were the two most common microplastics found in the feces of both groups.

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Protecting your gut from toxic plastics

So how can you guard your health against the microplastics that have become so ubiquitous in our food supply and environment?

First, skip the bottled water and instead invest in a high-quality water filtration system for your home.

Additionally, avoid food storage containers or dishware made from plastic and stick with glass or porcelain. It’s also important to stay away from foods that are packaged using plastic as well as plastic wrap.

Finally, encourage natural detoxification of these plastics through EDTA and chelation, as well as exercise.

Sources:

Study finds more microplastic in the feces of people with IBD – Integrative Practitioner

The post One more reason to give up bottled water: Your gut appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

From pesticides that cover our yards and our foods to plastics floating in our oceans that we eat with our fish dinner, our bodies are constantly being assaulted.

And what’s truly crazy is that for the most part, we’re told that the levels of all of these things are “safe”. They won’t make us sick right away. And they won’t cause disease down the road.

But should we believe it?

Not likely!

Especially after research done at the Institute for Biomedical Research Hospital Clinic de Valencia INCLIVA in Valencia, Spain, which has shown that the supposedly safe levels of heavy metals around us are actually clogging our arteries.

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A spoonful of rice, a drink of water and a side of metal

Clogged arteries are what your doctor would call atherosclerosis.

It’s when fatty deposits, or plaques, build up in your arteries causing them to narrow, weaken and stiffen. As you can imagine, from there things can go downhill fast and you can end up with everything from chest pain to a heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease or kidney disease.

Since heavy metals have become ubiquitous in our environment, and because the World Health Organization has stated that 31 percent of the cardiovascular disease burden in the world could be avoided if environmental pollutants were eliminated, Spanish researchers explored the potential role of individual metals and metal mixtures on the development of atherosclerosis.

The team evaluated 1,873 participants, scanning their carotid, femoral and coronary arteries for plaques and comparing the results to urine tests for heavy metals. Toxic metals they looked for included:

• Arsenic – which is found in tobacco and drinking water, but also lurking in foods like rice and fruit juice and is already linked to diabetes
• Cadmium – a metal you can also be exposed to through cigarette smoke and which has been linked to severe flu, pneumonia and possible Covid-19 infections
• Titanium – which is mainly derived from dental and orthopedic implants, screws, pacemaker encasings, cosmetic products and some foods

The team also measured levels of barium, uranium, chromium, antimony, vanadium and tungsten.

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And what they found was frightening…

• Older study participants had higher levels of most of the metals measured in the urine
• The few female participants in the study had higher metal levels compared to men, when levels were measured in the urine.
• Adults who had smoked at any time showed higher levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium and titanium than the people who had never smoked.
• Higher levels of arsenic, cadmium, titanium, and potentially antimony were associated with a higher probability of having subclinical atherosclerosis.
• Arsenic and cadmium appear to be most closely associated with increased plaque levels in the carotid arteries; cadmium and titanium are of greater concern for the femoral arteries; and titanium, and possibly cadmium and antimony, are of more concern for the coronary arteries.
• Arsenic may be more toxic for the arteries when found in combination with cadmium and titanium.

“This study supports that exposure to toxic metals in the environment, even at low levels of exposure, is toxic for cardiovascular health,” said study co-author Maria Tellez-Plaza, M.D., Ph.D.

Clearing out the toxic metals from your life and your body

One other thing the researchers note was also troubling…

Even though they felt that reducing our exposure has the potential to prevent cardiovascular disease and improve the way it’s treated, “Current global environmental, occupational and food safety standards for cadmium, arsenic and other metals may be insufficient to protect the population from metal-related adverse health effects,” said study co-author Maria Tellez-Plaza, M.D., Ph.D., a senior scientist.

So once again, safe just really isn’t so safe. That means you need to take responsibility for decreasing your exposure to these heavy metals as much as possible.

You may also consider a heavy metal detox.

A heavy metal detox usually involves “chelation.” Chelation comes from a Greek word that means “to claw.” That’s because chelation uses a binding agent to “grab on” to harmful contaminants, including minerals and metals, such as calcium, lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, aluminum and iron, binding to them and sending them out in the wash, so to speak, much in the same way your body gets rid of waste.

Intravenous chelation therapy is typically performed under the guidance of physician in instances such as lead poisoning, and often uses the chelator, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, also known as EDTA.

However, EDTA is available in supplement form and there are other natural chelators you have access to, including:

• Dietary fiber — found to reduce mercury levels in the brain and blood.
• Sulphur-containing foods — like garlic and broccoli are reported to chelate cadmium.
• Glutathione — the body’s master antioxidant and detoxifier helps protect cells from the oxidative damage heavy metals can cause.
• Modified citrus pectin — and substances from brown seaweeds have lowered heavy metal toxicity by about 74 percent in human participants.

Sources:

Exposure to toxic metals may increase risk of clogged arteries – EurekAlert!

The post Study finds a handful of heavy metals clogging major arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Almost every day, there’s new research detailing the many benefits of including fish, especially fatty fish, as part of a healthy diet.

However, new research has revealed the presence of dangerous heavy metals and toxic contamination in the dietary choice.

Luckily, it’s also providing expert recommendations on just how much and what kind of sushi is safe to eat.

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The safest combination of sushi to tempt your palate

The research, by a team from the Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology set out to analyze the concentrations of various toxic elements, in a hundred pieces of sushi.

The researchers specifically looked at levels of:

• Cadmium
• Nickel
• Lead
• Mercury
• Arsenic
• Methylmercury

And they compared the differences in levels found in three different preparations of the fishy treat: sashimi (raw fish), maki (a seaweed roll stuffed with rice, raw fish or other ingredients) and nigiri (balls of rice with fish or seafood on top).

The results?

Well, according to scientists, the safest form of sushi is sashimi. They discovered a significantly higher concentration of inorganic arsenic in both maki and nigiri, which in part, is to blame on the rice, which carries levels of arsenic on its own.

And they also found that whenever possible, you should skip sushi that contains tuna and go for salmon or eel instead.

That’s because tuna comes with the danger of bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury and methylmercury.

It’s also important to note that cooking fish doesn’t significantly reduce the amount of mercury in them, so whether served as sushi or cooked and teriyaki-glazed, too much tuna is not a good idea.

Finally, they found that while consuming just eight pieces of sushi increased exposure to nickel and lead in adults and adolescents, those metals at least remained within safe limits.

So what did their recommendations boil down to?

When you do have sushi, limit your consumption to eight pieces of salmon-based maki, nigiri or sashimi, or maki unagi (eel).

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Other ways to keep the danger down

Despite the caution, fish are a nutrient-rich food source and by following tips, like how and what kinds of sushi to eat, you can reap those benefits and decrease the danger.

Timothy Harlan, MD., has more advice: “The rule of thumb for seafood is to mix it up. Eat it 2 to 3 times per week, but don’t eat the same type more than 2 to 3 times per month.”

So, if you really like tuna and eat it on Monday, you can enjoy fish again later in the week, but go with a fish that has a much lower mercury risk, like salmon.

And the National Resources Council suggests spacing out your intake of fish, especially high-mercury fish, to allow your body to eliminate it before it builds up to dangerous levels.

Another helpful step is to include foods in your diet that help you eliminate this danger more efficiently…

Some foods act as binding agents, meaning they bind to the offending material and help it find its way out quicker. For example, probiotics can rid your body of cadmium faster.

Onions, garlic, broccoli, malic acid (found in apples and grapes), modified citrus pectin and cilantro can also help the body void some metals and toxins.

Chelation therapies can help remove mercury, using “chelators” that bind to mercury and help flush it from the body. Chelation therapy can be performed intravenously in a health practitioner’s office or can be taken orally.

Source:

Experts recommend a varied and moderate consumption of sushi limiting quantities of tuna — EurekAlert!

How to eat all the fish you want minus the mercury danger — Health.com

The post How to eat sushi and avoid the big mercury danger appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Now, a new study has found that one specific chemical could be lurking in products you use every day.

It’s one that could be secretly packing that fat into your liver, making you sick and increasing your risk of death, without you even knowing it.

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A banned antibacterial

The chemical known as triclosan is one you’ve probably heard of since it was only a few short years ago that the FDA banned its use in antibacterial soaps and body washes.

That ban was based on study findings that showed triclosan had the potential to:

• Disrupt hormonal balance
• Accelerate the development of antibiotic-resistant germs
• Harm the immune system
• Promote the formation of liver tumors

And since the FDA determined that using antibacterial soaps powered with triclosan was no more effective than plain soap and water, they told manufacturers that their triclosan field day was over…

But only when it came to products you wash with.

Despite all of the evidence that triclosan could be dangerous to your health, the FDA hasn’t yet forced companies to remove the chemical from other types of household products.

Some that could still be jam-packed with it include:

• Cosmetics
• Toothpaste and Mouthwashes
• Deodorant
• Athletic clothing
• Food packaging

And according to the Mayo Clinic, “When you use a product containing triclosan, you can absorb a small amount through your skin or mouth.”

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One more triclosan danger exposed

And now, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have just discovered more evidence that triclosan is a huge risk to your health, finding that when combined with a high-fat diet, it’s the perfect recipe for fatty liver development.

For the study, the researchers fed a high-fat diet to mice with type 1 diabetes. And on cue, the mice developed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Then the team fed some of the mice triclosan at a level that would be comparable to normal human exposure from those household products we talked about.

And you probably guessed it…

Compared to mice only fed a high-fat diet, triclosan accelerated the development of fatty liver and fibrosis or liver scarring.

The scientists were able to determine that the reason triclosan is so dangerous to the liver is that it disrupts metabolism as well as your gut microbiome, while also stripping away your liver cells’ natural protections.

This means that if you’re already eating a high-fat diet, which is a risk factor for fatty liver, and you add triclosan exposure to the mix, things can go from bad to worse — fast.

This also means that if you haven’t been a label reader in the past, now is definitely the time to start in order to guard your liver against the ravages caused by excess fat in the organ.

So be on the lookout to keep triclosan from damaging your liver. You can check out a partial list of triclosan-containing products to avoid here.

Sources:

Antimicrobial soap additive worsens fatty liver disease in mice — EurekAlert!

Should I avoid products that contain triclosan? — Mayo Clinic

The post ‘Banned’ chemical in everyday products fast-tracks fatty liver disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You see, early in the pandemic, as data was just starting to be collected, scientists looked for anything to help them understand why the virus affected some in such a deadly manner…

While some researchers keyed in on the fact that old age ups your chances of dying from COVID, others delved into the connection between severe COVID and testosterone. But scientists at the University of Michigan, the University of Southern California and the University of Washington were more interested in the link between COVID deaths and smokers.

That’s because a large percentage of the people dying from the coronavirus shared three characteristics: They were older males who smoked.

Some of these researchers had already conducted a comprehensive study on the impact of cadmium (a heavy metal found in cigarettes) on chronic diseases, including lung and cardiovascular diseases.

And since their studies showed that long-term exposure to cadmium — even at low levels — may undermine our defense system in the lungs, they theorized that cadmium could make it impossible for people to cope with viral attacks like COVID.

They also knew that since cadmium isn’t just found in cigarettes. It also contaminates leafy veggies and other foods you would think would be healthy, like rice and cereal. So, they knew the risk could be huge if their theory was proven correct…

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Cadmium linked to severe flu, pneumonia, possible COVID-19 infections

However, since it was still early in the pandemic, the team didn’t have a lot of data on COVID patients and their associated cadmium levels.

So they instead focused on studying the potential association of cadmium to other viral infections: influenza and pneumonia.

The researchers combed through data on nearly 16,000 participants (both smokers and non-smokers) comparing their cadmium levels to their risk of dying from a viral infection.

And here’s what they found…

After adjusting for all confounding factors like age, sex and race, the results showed that patients with cadmium levels in the 80th percentile were 15 percent more likely to die of influenza or pneumonia compared to those in the 20th percentile.

Related: A slow gait may be a sign of cadmium exposure

And for those that had never smoked, the difference was even greater with a whopping 27 percent higher risk of death for those with high cadmium levels versus those in the 20th percentile.

In other words, too much cadmium in your body could be the reason a viral or respiratory infection — whether flu, pneumonia or even COVID-19 — becomes much more severe.

Ridding your body of cadmium

The researchers say to remember, “COVID-19 may not be a one-time event. Our findings suggest that the public can benefit from reduced cadmium exposure when the next pandemic occurs.” And regardless of a pandemic, we know the flu is a regular visitor year after year.

So how else can you protect yourself from cadmium exposure that could turn a case of the flu deadly?

According to senior author Howard Hu, professor and chair of USC’s Department of Preventive Medicine and an occupational/environmental physician, the human body finds it much more difficult to excrete cadmium than other toxic metals.

But chelation, an accepted method of removing heavy metals from the body, can help. Bodies of research have shown that detoxification of cadmium with EDTA — short for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid — and other chelators is possible and therapeutically beneficial.

There are two ways EDTA is administered: intravenously in a health care setting or in supplement form. Chelators, like EDTA, bind to heavy metals and remove them from the body as waste in urine.

EDTA was first used as a treatment for lead exposure and poisoning. In medical studies, EDTA has been shown to be three times safer than common household vinegar. In fact, EDTA is so safe for humans, the American Heart Association recommends massive direct intravenous injections as a treatment for people who have been exposed to toxic levels of lead, mercury, aluminum and cadmium.

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Cadmium in your diet

Lead author Sung Kyun Park, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, suggests that everyone should be aware of the major sources of cadmium in their diets.

These include:

• Cereal
• Rice
• Organ meats such as liver and kidneys
• Soybeans
• Some types of leafy vegetables, especially lettuce and spinach
• Some potato varieties, such as sweet potatoes
• Other vegetables including carrots, beets, eggplant and peas

However, the researchers are quick to say they are not recommending a major shift in lifestyle, since many of these foods are staples of a balanced and nutritious diet. They do suggest consideration of other food sources such as cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage and broccoli, that contain high levels of antioxidants but relatively low levels of cadmium.

Eating broccoli may even help chelate some of the pollutants. A few years back, Scientists at Johns Hopkins University, along with several Chinese researchers, figured out that a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts is the key to chelating air pollutants from the body.

Cucumbers, snap beans and sweet corn are also good choices as they are considered “low cadmium accumulators.”

Sources:

METAL CONTAMINATION IN VEGETABLES – CADMIUM IS BECOMING A CONCERN — University of Delaware

New study links cadmium to more severe flu, pneumonia infections — EurekAlert!

Cadmium Toxicity and Treatment — The Scientific World Journal

The post How a common heavy metal can make pneumonia, flu and COVID-19 more severe appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because according to researchers from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, some public water systems are contaminated with significant concentrations of a known and dangerous poison…

The poison of kings

The name of the poison that could be lurking in your drinking water?

Well, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.

Arsenic was once known as “The Poison of Kings” and even “The Savior of Syphilis” since it has been used throughout the centuries first to knock off kings and emperors and then to treat syphilis (otherwise known as “the great pox”) — at least before antibiotics came into play.

The compound was even used in rat poison for decades.

And crazily enough, women used to rub it onto their face to lighten their skin and even sprinkle it into their hair to kill lice.

However, the use of arsenic became much more limited once everyone realized that it was not only poisonous but also a “potent neurological and liver toxin as well as a lung, bladder and skin carcinogen.”

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Contaminating groundwater and aquifers

Yet as the CDC points out, even without the day-to-day usage the poison used to see, it can still slip into our water from natural deposits in the earth as well as from the pollution generated by industry and agriculture.

And because of this, the poison is present in many aquifers across the United States that supply the drinking water to our homes.

Earlier research by the Columbia scientists had found that reducing the level of arsenic to 10 μg/L or less prevented an estimated 200-900 cancer cases per year.

Yet, the scientists had a feeling that the levels of arsenic-laced water were varied across the country. So they decided to follow up and see which of us are most at risk, by conducting a national study.

The team delved into six years-worth of arsenic monitoring data, studying approximately 13 million analytical records from 139,000 public water systems serving 290 million people annually. They combed through the statistics on arsenic levels of 46 states, Washington D.C., the Navajo Nation, and American Indian tribes representing 95 percent of all public water systems and 92 percent of the total population served by public water systems nationally.

And here’s what it came down to…

You’re more likely to be exposed to water exceeding the national maximum arsenic level if you live:

• in an area that used a community water system reliant on groundwater;
• in an area with smaller populations located in the Southwest;
• or in Hispanic communities.

This means that you’re also at higher risk of:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Adverse birth outcomes, including reduced fetal growth and pre-term birth

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What can you do?

If you live in one of these areas, the safest thing to do is to stop drinking your tap water now.

You can either choose to purchase bottled options or install either point-of-use system to filter out the poison, like a reverse osmosis filtration system or a whole house system to reduce the amount of arsenic in your water — and with it, your health risks.

It may also be a good idea to get tested for arsenic. If your levels are concerning your doctor might suggest chelation therapy, an approved therapy for heavy metal poisoning. Chelation therapy is used to not only remove high levels of arsenic from the body but also lead, cadmium, copper, gold, iron and mercury.

Chelation therapy is administered intravenously by a physician but is also available in pill and supplement forms.

Sources:

Several U.S. populations and regions exposed to high arsenic concentrations in drinking water — EurekAlert

Arsenic in Private Well Water FAQs — Mass.gov

Arsenic and birth outcomes in a predominately lower income Hispanic pregnancy cohort in Los Angeles — National Library of Medicine

Arsenic and Drinking Water from Private Wells — CDC

Rodenticide Toxicity — Medscape

Arsenic — the “Poison of Kings” and the “Saviour of Syphilis” — JMVH

The post 3 places where Americans are exposed to high arsenic in drinking water appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Our lungs are vital organs that must function properly to maintain our peak health. Breathing in toxins from air pollution, cigarette smoke and other sources can damage the lungs and cause health problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

One thing that’s amazing about the lungs is that they are self-cleaning organs. They begin to heal themselves quickly after exposure to pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, stops.

The best way to keep our lungs healthy is to avoid inhaling pollutants and toxins in the first place. However, depending on where you live, it can be tough to avoid breathing in polluted air. In these cases, you may want to consider one of the following options to help your lungs cleanse themselves…

Tips for clearing out mucus

Once the lungs have been exposed to toxins, mucus begins to form, capturing those pathogens. Too much mucus can cause the chest to feel congested or inflamed, making it difficult to breathe.

There are several ways to help your lungs expel excess mucus. Coughing is the body’s natural way of trying to clear phlegm, but you can make this process even more efficient through controlled coughing, a process that loosens the excess mucus and sends it up through the airways and out of the body.

To engage in controlled coughing for mucus clearing, follow these steps:

• Sit on a chair or the edge of your bed with both feet on the floor. Lean slightly forward and relax.
• Fold your arms across your stomach and breathe in slowly through the nose. You want to make sure you get the air moving, since that’s where the power of the cough comes from.
• Lean forward, pressing your arms against your abdomen. Slightly open your mouth and let out 2-3 short, sharp coughs. The first cough loosens the mucus and moves it through the airways, while the second and third coughs expel the mucus up and out.
• Breathe in again by sniffing slowly and gently through your nose. This gentle breath helps prevent mucus from moving back down your airways.
• Rest.
• Perform again if necessary.

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Another way to help the body eliminate mucus is through postural drainage, which utilizes gravity to facilitate the process. You want to ensure your stomach is empty before doing postural drainage, so the best times are either before a meal or 90 minutes after a meal.

You can either sit or lie on your back, stomach or side, and position your head flat, up or down. Whichever way you choose, make sure to use pillows to prop your hips higher than your chest. Breathe in slowly through the nose and out through your mouth, with breathing out taking twice as long as breathing in. Stay in that position for at least 5 minutes for optimal drainage. If you need help remembering the positions, this may help.

You can add percussion or vibration to postural drainage to help break up thick phlegm in the lungs. For percussion, cup your hand and wrist, then clap it against your chest. You should hear a hollow, popping sound, not a slapping sound, and it should not hurt. To practice vibration, take a deep breath and exhale forcefully. Then, gently shake your ribs with a flat hand. Do percussion or vibration for 5 to 7 minutes in each area of the chest. When you finish, take a deep breath and cough, which should help loosen and expel any mucus loosened by the procedure.

Fire up some steam

Cold, dry air tends to make it more difficult to breathe, as it dries out the airways’ mucous membranes and restricts blood flow. In steam therapy, you inhale warm water vapor to open your airways and help your lungs drain mucus.

Many drugstores sell devices you can use for steam therapy. But if you don’t have one, you can easily create your own steam bath. Boil some water, then pour it into a large bowl placed on a level, stable surface, such as a counter or table. You can add a few drops of essential oil to the water; eucalyptus and lavender are especially good for breathing problems.

Take a towel and form a tent over your head, then lean over until your face is about 4 to 6 inches from the water’s surface. Please keep your eyes closed and directed away from the steam to avoid burning them. Inhale the steam slowly and deeply for 10 to 15 minutes, then repeat twice a day as needed.

As far as diet goes, make sure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants to help support good lung health.

For example, the antioxidants in green tea can help reduce inflammation in the lungs and may even protect lung tissue from the damaging effects of smoke inhalation.

You may also want to consider adding black seed oil to your diet. Dr. Peter Schleicher, an immunologist in Munich, Germany, conducted five major studies on the golden-colored oil of the black seed, which was primarily used as a therapeutic agent for respiratory problems. In one of the studies, Black Seed Oil was tested on 600 patients experiencing health problems ranging from allergies to pollen and dust, problems breathing and dermatitis. A remarkable 70 percent, or 420 of the participants, became symptom-free and experienced total relief. You can read more about that here.

Sources:

Natural ways to cleanse your lungs — Medical News Today

Coughing: Controlled Coughing — Cleveland Clinic

Postural drainage — Mount Sinai

Chest Congestion Relief- Steam therapy — Perea Clinic

The post How to help your lungs cleanse themselves appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even though I have the best of intentions when it comes to preparing dinner, it’s often just too tempting to go the easy route and pick up a phone than to spend hours cooking.

And thanks to the pandemic, even those among us who weren’t big takeout people before can’t help but embrace bringing food home in those handy little plastic containers since eating in restaurants was prohibited in many areas.

But a new study has some sobering information for those of us who’ve made a regular habit of it…

Along with our favorite foods and a hefty side of convenience, those takeout containers carry a mega-dose of plastic that’s finding its way into your meals.

Microplastics raining down on your food

A study reported in the Journal of Hazardous Material found that each time food is eaten out of a takeout container, you’re also eating microplastics as part of your meal.

That’s because according to the research team that investigated the issue, those takeout containers, especially ones with rough surfaces, shed microplastics like crazy.

Here’s what they found specifically…

• Microplastics were found in different types of takeout containers.
  
• The highest microplastic level occurred in the containers made of polystyrene. Think Styrofoam.
  
• Microplastic fell from the inner surface of takeout containers after slightly flushing. Think about the way hot food cause condensation on your food container’s lid. That helps plastic particles rain down on your food.
  
• Microplastics come from the takeout containers themselves and the air.
  
• Microplastic intake through container may be up to 203 items/person/week.

The researchers say that based on the microplastic abundance they found in takeout containers people who order takeout food four to seven times per week may ingest 12–203 pieces of microplastics through containers.

Now, let’s just do the math on that…

That means that at the lowest level, you’ll be eating an extra 624 pieces of plastic a year.

But at the highest level, you could be ingesting a whopping 10,556 microplastic pieces each and every year!

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The dangers of microplastics

Now if the thought of eating these plastics on its own doesn’t worry you, here’s where the issue comes in…

Research into the health issues with these plastics is indeed pretty new. However, Pete Myers, founder and chief scientist of the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences and an adjunct professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University points out that the chemicals in these plastics are known to be harmful.

They’ve been linked to everything from obesity and reproduction problems to developmental delays in children.

And there’s evidence in animals that they can cross the blood-brain barrier and get into our bloodstream, where they could potentially cause hormone disruption, nervous system problems, hearing issues and even cancer.

This means that anything you can do to avoid excess plastics (like cutting back on takeout food) is a vital step in protecting your health.

To cut back on the microplastics contaminating your body, you can also:

• Avoid the worst offender based on this research — Styrofoam containers, which are one of the most used materials for takeout.
  
• Skip the bottled water — The level of microplastics in bottled water is approximately double that of tap water. And according to a study report in The Smithsonian Magazine, if you drink exclusively from plastic water bottles, you may ingest an additional 90,000 microplastics each year, compared to 4,000 among those who only consume tap water.
  
• Wash plastic dishes by hand — High heat can cause a release of microplastics from your dishes. This means that plastic dishes should be hand-washed instead of run through the dishwasher.
  
• Go fresh — Packaged foods wrapped in plastics are one more source of those microplastic flakes that can contaminate your food so stick with fresh food whenever possible and cook more often at home.

What else can you do? Eat cleansing foods. It may not be possible to cleanse actual pieces of microplastics from your body, but certain foods have been shown to help remove plasticizers — chemicals like phthalates and parabens found in plastics.

The Functional Medicine University suggests that two or more servings daily of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables revs up detoxification of plastics. They bind to the chemicals and remove them from the body in a process called chelation. So, make the following foods part of your diet: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula and dark leafy greens, like kale.

Sources:

Microplastics in takeout food containers — ScienceDirect

You’re literally eating microplastics. How you can cut down exposure to them. — The Washington Post

The post Eat takeout? You’re ingesting up to 10,000 plastic particles yearly appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Small particulate matter, those tiny particles of metal and other contaminants that live unseen in heavily polluted air, enters your brain through your nose and triggers an inflammatory response.

Brain inflammation plays a big role in Alzheimer’s, so one more inflammation-causing agent could be the tipping point that sends your cognitive health into a downward spiral.

A study from researchers at the University of Southern California found that older women who live in areas where particulate matter air pollution is higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard are 92 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Now, we also know that pollution is linked to Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease and that the damage begins a lot earlier in life than we’d thought…    

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Air pollution lodges in the brain at an early age

Mexico City, a city of over 20 million people, has been plagued by dangerous levels of air pollution for decades. I remember a trip there some 40 years ago, and even then, people were wearing masks on high-pollution days.

Researchers from Lancaster University in England examined the brainstems of 186 young Mexico City residents between the ages of 11 months and 27 years. They found markers (predictors) not only of Alzheimer’s disease but also of Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease (MND).

“Not only did the brainstems of the young people in the study show the ‘neuropathological hallmarks’ of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and MND,” says Professor Barbara Maher of Lancaster University, “they also had high concentrations of iron-, aluminum-, and titanium-rich nanoparticles in the brainstem — specifically in the substantia nigra and the cerebellum.”

Brain changes caused by nanoparticles

The ‘“neuropathological hallmarks” that Professor Maher mentions include nerve cell growths, as well as plaques and tangles caused by misfolded proteins in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. These were found even in infants as young as 11 months old.

And it appears that these tiny metallic particles can reach the brain stem either through inhalation or by swallowing. They are associated in particular with damage to the substantia nigra, an area of the brainstem in charge of initiating and inhibiting our motor neurons, thus controlling our ability to execute movements smoothly.

Not surprisingly, damage to the substantia nigra is directly linked with the development of Parkinson’s disease later in life.

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How to protect your brain from pollution

Professor Maher says, “Different people will have different levels of vulnerability to such particulate exposure, but our new findings indicate that what air pollutants you are exposed to, what you are inhaling and swallowing, are really significant in development of neurological damage.”

So, how do you become one of the less vulnerable people? How do you protect your children and grandchildren from developing these debilitating conditions when they grow up?

Here are 9 good first steps:

1. Eat broccoli sprouts and other foods that help your liver do the work of detoxifying your body.
2. Eat fish, particularly those with high omega-3 content, like rainbow trout, wild Alaskan salmon, sardines and albacore tuna. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to fight brain inflammation and prevent some of the brain damage caused by neurotoxins like lead and mercury.
3. Take B vitamins. A Columbia University study showed that supplementing with Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid dramatically reduced the negative impact of air pollution on DNA.
4. Supplement alpha-lipoic acid. A powerful antioxidant, this naturally occurring compound possesses metal-chelating activity. Both fat- and water-soluble, it is readily absorbed from the gut and crosses cellular and blood-brain membrane barriers.
5. Consider phosphatidylserine — one of the most tested nutrients for brain health and memory. This nutrient is a key building block for brain cells.
6. Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries, dark chocolate, kidney beans and cherries to combat the oxidative stress behind cognitive decline.
7. Boost your master antioxidant. As you age, your body produces less glutathione, which you need to protect you from the oxidative stress brought on by air pollution. Cruciferous vegetables and other foods can boost your glutathione levels.
8. Supplement with CoQ10 and PQQ. Together, these two enzymes help protect the brain’s neuron cells (the cells that pollution particles hitch a ride on to get directly to your cerebellum) by boosting mitochondria and reducing oxidative stress.
9. Consider EDTA chelation. Chelation uses a binding agent to “grab on” to harmful contaminants and eliminate them.

Sources:

Evidence of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s & MND in Brains of Young People Exposed to Dirty Air — Neuroscience News

Taking B Vitamins May Reduce Epigenetic Effects of Air Pollution — publichealth.columbia.edu

Chelation: Harnessing and Enhancing Heavy Metal Detoxification—A Review — NCBI

Substantia Nigra — human-memory.net

The post 9 ways to save your brain from disease-causing particles appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a process that drives my husband crazy!

But as far as I’m concerned, it’s also a process that protects my health, the health of my kids and his health, too,…even if he’d rather just grab and go.

Now, the results of a new study have given me some helpful data to cite the next time my husband asks why I can’t simply pick any one of the products in front of me.

So, for all you label readers out there, here’s the information you need to back up your choice. And for those who, like my husband, would rather skip the whole process, here’s proof that reading labels before you buy (or use) a product could be the missing piece in the puzzle of your health.

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Hidden endocrine disruptors

The research, performed at the Silent Spring Institute, specifically delved into how checking labels for well-known endocrine disruptors can save you from disease.

If you haven’t heard of them before, endocrine disruptors are chemicals that are widely used in personal care and household products (think deodorants, shampoo, cleaners and dish and hand soaps).

These chemicals, many of which are xenoestrogens (estrogen mimics), have scientists concerned because of the way they can interfere with your body’s hormones and lead to health problems, including::

• Reproductive disorders
• Sex hormone imbalances
• Thyroid hormone imbalances and disease
• Asthma
• Cancers

That concern has only heightened during the current COVID-19 pandemic since disease linked to environmental chemicals have been shown to make people more vulnerable to the virus and its severe effects.

Label readers have a lower body burden

So, the Silent Spring research team set out to determine just how much of a burden these endocrine disruptors create in your body and if making careful product choices can influence the amount of exposure.

They collected urine samples from 726 participants across the United States and analyzed them for 10 common endocrine disruptors. At the same time, they asked each person to complete an online survey that asked questions about the products they use and whether they avoid ones with specific chemicals listed on the label.

Here’s what they found…

After comparing participants, they discovered that:

• People who avoided products with parabens, triclosan, BPA and fragrances were twice as likely to be in the group with the lowest body burden (lowest levels) for all chemicals combined.
• Avoiding certain products and reading ingredient labels was most effective at reducing exposures to parabens, triclosan and benzophenone-3.
• In contrast, people who tried to avoid products containing BPA had levels similar to those who did not avoid the chemical, suggesting there are other sources of BPA that consumers may not be aware of.

What does this mean?

That reading labels works when it comes to lowering exposure to some of the worst endocrine disruptors that we could easily come in contact with daily. And knowing what they can do to your health, I’d say that’s a big pay-off for minimal effort.

Healthier products without harmful chemicals

So, the next time you’re shopping, check out the label of your shampoo, deodorant or household product before buying.

Endocrine disruptors to watch out for include parabens (like Methylparaben), triclosan (found in antibacterial soaps and body washes and even toothpaste) and synthetic fragrances (such as phthalates).

On labels, some are listed this way:

• Bisphenol A (BPA)
• Five chlorophenols (2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,5-dichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, triclosan)
• Two ultraviolet (UV) filters (benzophenone-1, benzophenone-3)
• Eight parabens and their metabolites (benzyl, butyl, ethyl, heptyl, methyl, propyl, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HB), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHB)

There are a couple of tools you can use to make identifying and avoiding them easier…

Silent Spring offers a free mobile app, Detox Me, that’s designed to make it easier to reduce chemical exposure in your everyday environment via product choices and simple changes to daily habits.

Another great source to avoid pollutants in your life are consumer guides offered by the Environmental Working Group.

Remember, scouring ingredients on individual product labels is now proven to pay off.

Sources:

Consumers who avoid products with harmful chemicals on the label have lower body burden — EurekAlert!

The post One more reason to read product labels: Hormone interference appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Why exactly is diabetes so damaging to the kidneys?

Well, the prevailing theory is that high blood sugar damages blood vessels in your kidneys… and damaged blood vessels don’t work as well. But there may be more to the story than just that…

A new study shows that diabetes may prevent the kidneys from performing a function that’s critical to their health — cleaning out wastes.

Diabetes stalls the kidneys’ natural cleaning process

Over the years, research has produced conflicting information about diabetes’ impact on something called autophagy in the kidneys. Autophagy is a natural cleaning process that occurs throughout your body. During autophagy, wastes (like misfolded proteins and damaged mitochondria) are placed in a double-membrane sack and destroyed by enzymes. By clearing these wastes out, your cells and organs can function at their optimum levels.

Now, some studies show that autophagy goes up in response to diabetes. Other studies show that it goes down. A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, however, shows that technically, it does both… before ultimately sending autophagy into a downward spiral that leads to kidney damage.

The study was conducted on mice with and without diabetes. Researchers gauged the amount of autophagy taking place by looking at an autophagy biomarker known as protein LC3. Protein LC3 is found in the membranes of those sacks where wastes are placed before they’re destroyed by enzymes.

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They found that autophagy levels were the same in diabetic and non-diabetic mice for the first nine weeks. Two weeks later, autophagy was slightly lower in diabetic mice. And eventually, it became significantly lower. The diabetic mice went on to develop larger kidneys with signs of damage, scarring and inflammation… so it seems that the reduced rate of autophagy was taking its toll. Ultimately, the mice developed kidney failure, just like so many people with diabetes do.

Researchers decided to take things one step further and knock out their autophagy gene altogether… and things went from bad to worse. The kidney enlargement and failure accelerated. But when they reactivated the gene, conditions started to mildly improve again.

How to protect your kidneys from diabetes-related damage

So, how can you protect your kidneys from damage if you have diabetes?

Well, as much as I’d like to provide an easy method for keeping autophagy happening at a healthy pace, that’s not something we have access to quite yet. But there are some scientifically-proven ways to reduce your odds of developing kidney disease if you have diabetes, like:

• Being a non-smoker
• Following a healthy, well-balanced diabetes eating plan
• Moderating your salt intake
• Staying active
• Maintaining a healthy weight

If you accomplish everything on the list above, it should help keep your blood sugar well-controlled. And maintaining well-controlled blood sugar is one of the best ways to prevent diabetes-related kidney disease.

It should also keep your blood pressure healthy. And that plays a huge role in keeping your kidneys healthy as well. In fact, people with diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure, and it’s a real double whammy for your kidneys since both conditions cause kidney damage. So, do your best to live a healthy lifestyle and hopefully, you can keep your blood sugar, blood pressure and kidney health in check.

Sources:

Diabetes dramatically reduces the kidney’s ability clean itself — MedicalXpress.

p53/microRNA-214/ULK1 axis impairs renal tubular autophagy in diabetic kidney disease — Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Diabetic Kidney Disease — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The post Why diabetes leads to dirty, damaged kidneys appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The problem with pesticides like DDT, known as organochlorine compounds, is that they don’t just go away. Depending upon when you were exposed, there’s a decent chance that DDT is still in your body.

The United States banned the use of DDT in 1972 when it was proven to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical that can mimic estrogen and activate gene mutations that cause breast cancer.

Since then, other pesticides and weed killers have taken their place. Atrazine, a weed killer, and malathion, an insecticide, are still widely used in farming and agriculture.

Yet both of these chemicals have been linked with the formation of mammary gland tumors in mice.

And yes, in case you’re wondering, there’s evidence that they have the same effect on humans.

Research shows link between pesticide exposure and breast cancer

Here are just two pieces of research linking pesticide and herbicide exposure with breast cancer:

• A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health found an increased incidence of breast cancer in younger Hispanic farmworkers who were exposed to a combination of pesticides, including malathion and chlordane.
• Another study found that wives of agricultural workers who used a chemical known as 2,4,5-TP, and who lived close to the site where the chemical was used, had an elevated risk of breast cancer.

A follow-up to this study revealed associations between the use of chlorpyrifos, also called nerve gas pesticide, and the development of premenopausal breast cancer in the same group of women.

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How to avoid pesticides in your food

One of the best ways to “eat clean” is to buy organic produce.

For food to be labeled “organic,” it must meet the approval of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It must be grown or farmed without the use of artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or genetically modified organisms.

It’s been shown that organic eating reduced the risk of premenopausal breast cancer by almost 35 percent!

But if you can’t eat 100 percent organic produce, or have not done so up until now, you’d be wise to consider a natural detox program using modified citrus pectin. Detoxing helps your liver, your body’s main detoxing organ, protect you against the constant onslaught of toxin exposure.

Other ways to protect yourself from cancer-causing pesticides are to grow your own produce, or at least to stick to locally grown food and wash it with soap and water before storing and eating it.

Finally, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an excellent source of information. Their annual Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen produce lists will help you stay away from the fruits and vegetables more likely to be contaminated, in favor of those that are generally cleaner and free of pesticides.

Sources:

Dozens of pesticides linked with mammary gland tumors in animal studies — Medical Express

Other Pesticides & Herbicides — Breast Cancer Prevention Partners

Organochlorine pesticide exposure as a risk factor for breast cancer in young Indian women: A case–control study — South Asian Journal of Cancer

Dirty Dozen EWG’s 2020 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce — Environmental Working Group

Clean Fifteen EWG’s 2020 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce — Environmental Working Group

DDT Linked to Fourfold Increase in Breast Cancer Risk — National Geographic

US EPA’s regulatory pesticide evaluations need clearer guidelines for considering mammary gland tumors and other mammary gland effects — Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology

The post How not to get breast cancer from your salad appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Recently, a jury awarded a California couple $2 billion for the damage Roundup caused to their health, resulting in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after decades of using the product on their property.

And this judgment comes on the heels of two prior hefty monetary awards where juries also sided with cancer victims over Big Agra.

Now the floodgates are open: It’s been reported that thousands of lawsuits have been filed, something that should make each and every one of us concerned about our exposure to glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup.

Could you have been exposed — even if you haven’t been working towards a beautification award for your yard? The answer is most certainly, yes.

Here’s what you need to know about past exposure and protecting yourself from not only cancer — but the latest danger tied to glyphosate… liver disease.

Glyphosate residue and liver disease

The main ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer that’s the cause of all of its health dangers is glyphosate. Hands down, it’s the most widely used herbicide in our country. Now, a team from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has found that it’s not only capable of causing cancer — but also liver disease…

Their study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, measured levels of glyphosate in the urine of patients with and without NASH. NASH is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a more severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD, where patients end up with inflammation as well as fat accumulation in their livers.

And, the danger glyphosate poses to your liver were demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt…

The researchers discovered that the amount of glyphosate residue was significantly higher in the urine of patients with NASH than it was in patients whose liver was healthy. And, the association was true regardless of any other outside factors including body mass index, age, race, ethnicity, and whether or not the patient also had diabetes.

The researchers say that when you add this to the results of previous studies in animals, it shows that there is a link between glyphosate and fatty liver disease, a condition that’s been on the rise right along with the growing amount of the weed killer found in our food supply.

“There have been a handful of studies, all of which we cited in our paper, where animals either were or weren’t fed Roundup or glyphosate directly, and they all point to the same thing: the development of liver pathology,” said Paul J. Mills, PhD, professor and chief in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Avoiding the fatty liver danger of roundup

To avoid the risks that come with glyphosate, never use Roundup on your lawn and encourage your neighbors to ban the chemical as well. It’s also important to only choose foods that are organic and non-GMO in order to stay away from foods that are routinely doused in the chemical at harvest to hasten “dry down.”

Take steps to support the health of your liver…

• Milk Thistle – Milk thistle has been used for thousands of years to support better liver health by promoting the elimination of heavy metal build-up, medication residue, environmental pollutants, and alcohol.
• Turmeric – An Indian herb that fights inflammation, turmeric helps protect your liver from oxidative stress and promotes healthy liver function.
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) – An incredibly potent antioxidant, ALA helps keep fats from accumulating in your liver.
• Schisandra – An ancient Chinese herb, Schisandra activates enzymes in your liver cells that produce glutathione — the master antioxidant that detoxifies your body.

Sources:

1. $2 Billion Verdict Against Monsanto Is Third to Find Roundup Caused Cancer — The New York Times
2. It’s in the Weeds: Herbicide Linked to Human Liver Disease — UC San Diego Health

The post Weed killer now linked to rise in liver disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Not too long ago, I wrote about the major load your liver carries in terms of keeping you healthy. Of all the organs in your body, your liver is perhaps the one that does the most varied set of jobs.

Without a fully functioning and healthy liver, you could take all the vitamins and supplements in the world, but they wouldn’t do any good. Not only does your liver store vitamins until they’re needed, but it breaks them down so your body can actually use them.

The bile produced by your liver disposes of the “leftovers” after your body uses those vitamins.

It also takes environmental poisons like glyphosate and eliminates them from the body. And of course, it stores a reserve of blood sugar you can call on if needed.

Considering all of this, doesn’t it make sense to pay special attention to eating foods that nourish this crucial organ? Here are ten of them.

The post 10 best foods to protect your hard-working liver appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But, while aging is inevitable, age-related decline and loss of function aren’t. After all, we’ve all known people well into their 90s who were just as active and sharp as ever.

So, what’s the secret? How can you age without aging?

According to scientists at Oregon State University, the key could lie in one specific antioxidant — and its important role in detoxification…

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Detoxification prevents cell death

The research, published in the journal Redox Biology, tried to identify the resistance to toxins of young cells compared to older cells. The toxic stresses of everyday life lead to many health problems, and whether or not your body can support detoxification can determine your risks.

In fact, according to scientists, the decline of detoxification pathways are linked to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, some of the leading causes of death and disability throughout the world.

To determine why younger cells can better handle an influx of toxins, clear them out and remain healthy while older cells wither and die, they used a toxic compound called menadione to stress the cells of rats.

They found that in response to toxic stress younger cells lose significantly less of an antioxidant known as glutathione than older cells.  In fact, the glutathione levels of young rat cells never decreased to less than 35 percent of its initial level despite the toxic assault, whereas in older rat cells glutathione levels plummeted to just 10 percent of their original level.

They say this loss of glutathione is why health declines with age.

Tory Hagen, lead author of the study and professor of biochemistry in the OSU College of Science said, “In young animal cells, stress doesn’t cause such a rapid loss of glutathione. The cells from older animals, on the other hand, were quickly depleted of glutathione and died twice as fast when subjected to stress.”

The good news is that they didn’t just figure out why cells die off and frailty occurs and poor health goes up, they also figured out how to fix it.

According to the researchers, “Pretreatment with NAC increased glutathione levels in the older cells and largely helped offset that level of cell death.”

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NAC for better aging

You’re probably wondering what in the world NAC is and what they mean by pretreatment. After all, who wouldn’t want to prevent cell death and age better?

Well, let’s break those down into two parts…

First, NAC is a compound called N-acetyl-cysteine and is best known for its ability to support the liver — in other words, to amp up those detoxification pathways.

In fact, NAC is already used in high doses in hospitals for detoxification emergencies such as when someone is exposed to poisonous levels of heavy metals and is considered very safe to use even at those high levels.

What the researchers found in this study though is that at much lower levels NAC can help maintain glutathione levels as well as the metabolic function of the antioxidant and prevent the routine metabolic declines associated with aging.

Even though the study was on mice, the author went so far as to say, “I’m optimistic there could be a role for this compound in preventing the increased toxicity we face with aging, as our abilities to deal with toxins decline. We might be able to improve the metabolic resilience that we’re naturally losing with age.”

NAC for prevention

So, now you know what NAC is and why you need it but what did the researchers mean when they said pretreatment with NAC is what worked?

Well, the answer is simple… They mean that you should take NAC on a regular basis, not just when you’re already sick, worn out and already suffering from health problems.

As they put it, “Using NAC as a prophylactic, instead of an intervention, may allow glutathione levels to be maintained for detoxification in older adults.”

Remember, aging is inevitable but an age-related decline is not when you improve your body’s ability to process the toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis.

Sources:

1. Boosting levels of known antioxidant may help resist age-related decline — Oregon State University

The post The antioxidant that resists age-related decline appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They may be festive, but when you take down the tree and pack up the ornaments, you may want to box up those glasses for good…

University of Plymouth researchers have found that some decorative glass drinkware could be exposing you to toxic levels of lead and cadmium.

In their tests, the researchers found that many enameled drinking glasses and mugs contained as much as 100 times the legal limit of cadmium, and over 1,000 times the legal limit of lead.

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Toxic metals in every sip you take

The danger lies in the paints and enamels used on decorative glassware.

For the University of Plymouth study, the research team did almost 200 tests on 72 new and used drinking products, including tumblers, beer and wine glasses, and jars.

Of the 72 glasses, lead was found in 52, while 51 contained cadmium. The toxic metals were found on the surface of the glass and, in some cases, on the rims, including in gold leaf. Red enamel had the highest concentrations of cadmium.

The tests also determined that flakes of paint often chipped off of the glass rims, and that both metals were easily removed from lip areas by a 4% acetic acid solution.

The lead concentration on the glasses tested ranged from 40 to 400,000 parts per million, while cadmium levels of 300 to 70,000 parts per million were found.

According to the U.S. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the limit levels for the lip areas of drinking glasses are 200 parts per million for lead, and 800 parts per million for cadmium.

The danger isn’t just from drinking

Back in 2010, McDonald’s recalled 12 million drinking glasses decorated with characters from the movie “Shrek” because the paint used in the pictures contained cadmium.

Around the same time, Coca Cola recalled 22,000 glasses painted to look like the original Coca Cola glass bottle, because testing found cadmium in the paint.

Not only can poisoning occur from drinking from these glasses. Touching the outside, then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth can lead to ingesting toxic metals.

Also, putting glasses that are coated with toxic paint into the dishwasher can cause contamination of other dishes.

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The effects of lead and cadmium poisoning

Lead poisoning is not news. We’ve long known that lead is a neurotoxin, and that children who ingested it by eating paint chips suffered neurological and cognitive impairments.

In adults, lead poisoning can also damage the nervous system, as well as the kidneys and stomach. It can cause high blood pressure.

Cadmium is a toxic metal that is of no use at all to the human body. It is a carcinogen, and induces neuron cell death. It affects blood pressure, and induces bone damage.

How to protect yourself

Chelation is a good way to cleanse your system of heavy metals that have already found their way in.

If you want to learn more about chelation, here’s a good place to start. When you’re ready to begin cleansing your system, you’ll want to use the best supplements for detoxing.

The best thing you can do any holiday season going forward is to serve your holiday drinks from undecorated glasses. It may not seem as festive, but it’s the truest way to toast to your health and wellness in the New Year and every year to come.

The post Pack this toxic holiday ‘décor’ away for good appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet there they were. In this remote, uninhabited, and normally unreachable part of the world, two large blocks of polystyrene sat atop an ice floe.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the toxic effects of Styrofoam and other plastics on our bodies. But you’re probably not planning on going to the Arctic any time soon. So, why should this story matter to you?

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Hiding in plain sight

Ask yourself this: if pieces of Styrofoam can find their way into Arctic ice and remain there, where else is toxic plastic hiding?

One study found that 94.4% of tap water samples in the United States contained plastic fibers.

Various researchers have found microplastic fibers in sea salt used in France, Malaysia, the U.K., Spain, and China.

In other words, while large chunks of plastic are invading the far reaches of the world, microscopic pieces of plastic are invading your body. And the chemicals they’re made of are wreaking havoc on your health…

• Benzene and styrene, the two components of Styrofoam, are known carcinogens and have been linked to a higher incidence of leukemia and Parkinson’s disease.
• Plastic fibers readily absorb other toxic chemicals and release them in your body.
• The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that people with higher levels of BPA had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities

And, if plastic is in your water, it’s also in your pizza crust, soups, and pasta. It’s in the fish and shellfish you eat. It’s on your toothbrush and in your bathtub.

How can you keep it from wreaking havoc on your health?

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Your mighty liver

Just one organ in your body is fighting the battle to get rid of plastics and other toxins: your liver.

Your liver performs over 400 jobs. It regulates glucose and iron for energy. It produces hormones that make proteins. It regulates blood clotting.

Oh, and it single-handedly gets rid of the poisons in your body.

Your liver is a super-organ, but it can’t do it alone. Like most heroes, it needs some backup.

One big way to support your liver is with foods, nutrients and supplements that assist in the detox process. Here are some tips to start with:

1. Flush your liver and keep it clean by drink plenty of filtered water.
2. Increase your liver’s natural detoxification enzymes by eating cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
3. Include foods rich in all the B-vitamins in your diet. The liver depends on B-vitamins to carry out its detoxifying activity.
4. Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a mineral that helps process glutathione in the liver, which in turn increases the breakdown of alcohol and toxins.
5. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and pickles are rich in Lactobacillus plantarum, probiotic bacteria found to be helpful at removing toxins.
6. Antioxidants help protect the liver from damage, so make a point to eat foods like cranberries, blueberries, grapefruit and other antioxidant-rich foods.
7. Eat healthy fats that are easier for your liver to break down. Nuts, seeds, olives and avocado are some of the best sources.
8. Cook with olive oil, and use it on your salads. Studies show that olive oil helps decrease fat levels in the liver, as well as elevated liver enzymes.

Serious liver lovers also know that the herb milk thistle provides amazing protection for this vital organ. In addition to evidence that milk thistle can help people with liver damage from industrial chemicals and toxins, silymarin, the herb’s active compound, may have a detoxing effect and keep toxins from binding to liver cells.

Experts acknowledge that it’s virtually impossible to remove all plastics from our bodies. But by supporting your liver, you’re taking a huge step toward minimizing their effects on your health.

Sources:

Researchers Have Found Blocks Of Polystyrene In Arctic Ice — Canada Journal

Sea salt around the world is contaminated by plastic, studies show — The Guardian

Microplastic Pollution in Table Salts from China — Environmental Science & Technology

The presence of microplastics in commercial salts from different countries — Scientific Reports

Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals — The Guardian

From sea to plate: how plastic got into our fish — The Guardian

Invisibles: The plastic inside us — orbmedia.org

Plastic and diabetes, liver ailments linked — The Seattle Times

14 Foods That Cleanse the Liver — Global Healing Center

The post 8+ ways to relieve your liver’s detox load appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

These days, your liver carries quite the load, especially with clearing heavy metals and toxic chemicals.

However, according to research, there is a green superfood you can use as a powerful detox aid to support your body’s best efforts…

It’s called chlorella — and some consider it Mother Nature’s medical miracle.

If you’ve heard of spirulina you can imagine what chlorella looks like because it’s also a green algae — a type of plant organism that’s become quite popular in green superfood supplements and powdered mixes.

And in terms of heavy metals, this modest supplement exhibits some super detox powers…

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The toxic connection to illness

We are all exposed to heavy metals — arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury — even in trace amounts.

And the signs that you need a detox aren’t always as obvious as the diseases that indicate mineral toxicity. That’s why it’s important not to wait…

These toxins cause major havoc — they create unwanted oxidative stress, which produces free radicals that cause damage to your body’s cells. They also bind to tissues, affect hormone function and block the utilization of minerals.

Conditions such as cardiovascular disease, renal disease and neurological disease have been associated with toxic metals. So it goes without saying that it’s great to do anything you can to avoid toxic metal accumulation in the body.

Then there’s the case of toxic chemicals…

Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that are primarily produced by industrial and manufacturing processes that release emissions into the air and include the manufacture of chemical pesticides and herbicides.

Unfortunately, dioxins have made their way into the food chain. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that more than 90 percent of human exposure is through food — especially meat where it collects in fat cells.

Using data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 2007 to 2010, the researchers measured a total of 20 dioxins and the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood of 2,818 adults.

The results clearly explained why a significant portion of the U.S. population experiences thyroid dysfunction…

They found that dioxins were significantly associated with high TSH levels… an indication that the thyroid gland is not making enough thyroid hormone.

Studies have shown that toxic levels of dioxin were significantly lower in the breast milk of mothers taking chlorella, which is great news!

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While the mechanisms are not completely understood, chlorella appears to accelerate the excretion of heavy metals and toxins, decrease their absorbency by tissues in the body and act as a potent antioxidant agent.

But one factor that helps the body detox more efficiently is providing it with the quality nutrition it needs. And it just so happens that nutrition is one area where chlorella really excels…

Chlorella is a complete protein source, providing all 9 essential amino acids and 11 non-essential. It contains triple-miracle vitamin C and brain-boosting B vitamins, along with a range of minerals — zinc, potassium, copper, calcium, folic acid, and iron. And it’s also a good source of dietary fiber.

At this stage, there has been no specific dosage set for chlorella, with study dosages ranging from 1.2 grams per day up to 10 grams per day. The best course of action is to follow the product manufacturer’s recommendations when adding chlorella to your diet, with the majority suggesting an average dose of 2 to 3 grams per day.

Chlorella comes in tablet, capsule, powder, and extract form and you should be able to find it in a quality greens powder mix.

Sources:

1. Sears ME. Chelation: Harnessing and Enhancing Heavy Metal Detoxification. A Review. — The Scientific World Journal. 2013;2013:219840.

2. Ogawa K, et al. Evaluation of Chlorella as a Decorporation Agent to Enhance the Elimination of Radioactive Strontium from Body. — PLoS ONE. 2016;11(2):e0148080.

3. Dioxins and their effects on human health — Who.int. (2017). World Health Organization. Retrieved 6 July, 2017.

4. Nakano S, et al. Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) supplementation decreases dioxin and increases immunoglobulin a concentrations in breast milk. — J Med Food. 2007;10(1):134-42.

5. Benefits of chlorella — (2017). Authority Nutrition. Retrieved 6 July, 2017

The post Chlorella: The super green detox superfood appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They just didn’t believe it and went to great lengths to ridicule those who claimed otherwise. The reason was partly because they didn’t have a controlled substance that would detoxify the body.

The other reason? Science had not yet proven that the body goes through two elaborate detoxification pathways on a daily basis — mostly while you are asleep.

With the myriad of toxins you’re exposed to in modern society, you’re faced with an increasing burden of unnatural substances that invade your body — from pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to air and water pollution, mercury, arsenic and other heavy metals, and the list goes on.

These toxins are stored in your body in a number of ways and can lead to disease. If your goal is to maintain any level of health, it’s time to consider supporting your body in its ability to detox daily…

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Toxins

As toxins go, there are two types… those created inside of us from what we eat (end products of metabolism) or as bacteria grow. These are both examples of endotoxins.

The other type comes in from the outside — exotoxins — like drugs (including prescription pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter) and agricultural chemicals, food additives, household pollutants, contaminants and microbial byproducts.

The upper portion of your gut (stomach and small intestine) is very busy allowing or disallowing foods or foreign substances to cross into your bloodstream. This requires a healthy gut, which in turn requires healthy choices when you eat or drink.

Some toxins are stored in your adipose tissue (fatty tissue) and contribute to an increased toxic load. These non-polar, fat-soluble toxins are only released when the gut is healthy, the detox pathways are functioning and the visceral fat is released to be used as energy — otherwise, it is trapped in fat cells contributing to obesity and illness.

Two phases of detoxification

Toxins are eliminated via Phase I Detoxification Intermediaries (Cytochrome P450 enzymes) and Phase II Conjugation Pathways.

In the first phase, detoxification is facilitated with the help of your gall bladder, liver, kidneys, spleen, lymph system and blood.

Specific nutrients are also integral to this phase and include: vitamins B2, B3, B6, B9 and B12, phospholipids and flavonoids.

Let’s talk about the B vitamins first…

As much as 50 percent of us have trouble metabolizing folate and B vitamins from the foods we eat and may not even know it. That can hinder your detoxification process and lead to other problems as well. If your doctor suspects this, he’ll recommend MTHFR gene mutation test.

If you test positive, you may significantly benefit from using Methylated B9 (Methylfolate) and methylated B12 (Methylcobalamin). These are not very expensive and make a world of difference for those who have one or more MTHFR gene mutations. It’s important to test first, as there are some negative side effects for some who do not have a gene mutation and take methylated B vitamins.

Phospholipids — especially phosphatidylcholine (PC). Consider that at birth up to 90 percent of cellular membranes are made up of PC. As humans age, the percentage of PC in their cellular membranes can decrease to about 10 percent. This is why many supplement for life with this essential phospholipid. Phospholipid membranes provide protection from chemicals and pathogens that mess with the necessary life functions that take place within each cell. These membranes are subject to constant attack from free radicals (oxidants), pathogens, and toxins.

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One of the most common sources of phospholipids is lecithin, which appears naturally in foods like egg yolks, soybeans, sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

Flavonoids are very important in the detox process. Here is a good chart for the best foods sources of flavonoids by their five subgroups:

In the second phase, the liver works other substances that can help make a toxin water-soluble so it can be flushed out of the body. This is what we call the conjugation pathways phase.

The nutrients used in this phase include sulfate, glutathione (from glycine, glutamate, n-acetylcysteine), cysteine, methionine, glucuronic acid, folic acid and B12. Also protective vitamins and plant derivatives include carotenes (vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), calcium ascorbate, and tocopherols (vitamin E from mixed tocopherols or tocotrienols. Minerals include selenium, copper, zinc, manganese, iron and magnesium.

Herbs and spices that can be helpful for this detox phase include:

• Kudzu — great for detoxifying the liver can be found online from Swanson’s: 500 mg 60 capsules for only $2.00.
• Silymarin (milk thistle) — great also for detoxifying the liver.
• Green tea (catechins) — high content of EGCG’s (an antioxidant). Great for detox daily.
• Turmeric (curcumin) — use with black pepper and coconut oil to optimize benefits.
• Cruciferous vegetables (glucosinolates) like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic and onions. Use them daily.
• Red grapes and Spanish peanuts (resveratrol in the skins in both)
• Watercress and pomegranate (ellagic acid)
• Eggs (Sulfate), whey (complete protein), fish (omega-3 oils, protein)
• Hops (humulones) and dandelion leaf root powder — very inexpensive. Just use two pinches each evening in food or in tea.
• Cilantro, parsley, alfalfa and chlorella (blue-green algae) are extremely powerful chemical and heavy metal chelators. You can juice these, include them in salads, and/or mix powdered forms (especially chlorella — up to 1 Tbs/day) into water or smoothie for a quick and effective dose.

Supplements that assist with detox include I3C (indole-3 carbinol), sulforaphane and CoQ10. IC3 found in foods like cabbage and broccoli, is converted in the stomach to several compounds, including diindolylmethane (DIM). I3C and DIM are antioxidants and potent stimulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body.

The post Foods, herbs and spices that detoxify your body appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what happens when changes happen too fast? That’s the situation we’re in today. Our bodies can’t adapt to the pace of changes to our food and environment.

At any time, no matter where you are, you have access to fatty, sugary, and starchy foods … and nutritionists are telling you to eat many times a day to keep your metabolism high.

Is it any wonder that we snack and then snack some more?

Unfortunately, the one organ responsible for sorting out the aftermath is having a hard time keeping up. And research shows that much of today’s snack food will damage this organ while it expands your waistline.

The problem is sugar. Natural sugar is not bad. Foods that cause your blood sugar to increase are the problem. They can lead to an accumulation of fat around the liver, which can be deadly.

The fatty liver condition, called hepatic steatosis, can eventually lead to a swollen liver and cirrhosis. If allowed to continue for a prolonged period of time, it can compromise the liver’s ability to filter and eliminate toxins from the body.

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In this study, the researchers discovered that frequent snacking accelerates the deposit of fat in the liver and belly fat. Further, this has a worse effect than eating large meals and not snacking.

Dutch researcher Mireille Serlie recommends

“Americans consume up to 27% of calories from high-fat and high-sugar snacks… Eating more often, rather than consuming large meals, contributes to fatty liver independent of body weight gain. These findings suggest that by cutting down on snacking and encouraging three balanced meals each day over the long term may reduce the prevalence of NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).”

To help your liver, and keep it cleansed of junk and free of fat, you should do two things:

1. Go back to the “few and far between” thinking on meals. Three meals a day is fine, but if you’re full, then just don’t eat.
2. And, when you do eat a meal, make sure you’re satiated so you don’t continue to eat afterwards. It doesn’t help your metabolism and could clog your liver.

The post Cleanse your liver by eating more? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Research shows that these toxins can be linked to arthritis and other painful conditions. That’s one reason a thorough, gentle, cleanse can restore vitality, balance energy metabolism, reduce pain and improve overall health.

A detoxing cleanse can be a tremendous opportunity for renewal…

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Cleansing Benefit: Yale Study

Over time, toxins can concentrate in the blood, cells, organs and joints. These accumulations express themselves through a variety of chronic conditions. We may suffer from allergies, aches and pains, digestive problems, even irritability. We simply don’t feel like ourselves.

Accumulated toxins produce profoundly disturbing afflictions. Environmental chemicals have been linked to cancer, diabetes, autism, neurodegenerative disorders and a number of other conditions. A study conducted by researchers at Yale linked two perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) to arthritis. These chemicals are used in many consumer products: clothing, food containers, personal care products. They are ubiquitous.

While the body engages in many processes to remove toxins, it simply has a hard time keeping up, especially as we age or deal with chronic health conditions. The idea behind cleansing is to support natural detoxification processes, giving them a much needed boost.

When done correctly, the results can be amazing. You may experience better energy, improved digestion, more efficient metabolism, better sleep quality, reduced junk-food cravings and enhanced circulation.

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How to Get Going

Remember, a detox program is never a one-size-fits-all situation. It’s an individual expression of your desire for better health and vitality.

There are any number of ways to effectively detoxify your body and adopt a program that’s sustainable for you. Here are a few basic approaches to help guide your choices:

• During a cleanse, replace animal protein, particularly red meat, with plant protein. This can help ease digestive function and reduce inflammation. Soaking and sprouting grains and legumes greatly increases their health, detoxification and nutrient profiles. There are many good resources online that provide seed-specific sprouting directions.
• Incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals and snacks. I particularly recommend alkaline vegetables; they neutralize toxic acidity. Avocado, cucumber and spinach are all good choices. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and kale, also greatly aid detoxification. Eat them raw, juiced, steamed or sautéed in liquid. Since the goal is to detoxify, try to stick to organic vegetables. They have fewer pesticide residues and other contaminants.
• Fiber is crucial to clear out toxins. Emphasize bran, flax, pectin, sprouts, cabbage, nuts and seeds.
• Support your microbiome. This consists of the trillions of symbiotic microbes in the gut that help with digestion and other critical functions. New research shows that healthy internal flora can even aid mental health. Probiotic foods, including yogurt, sauerkraut, miso and kimchi, support detoxification and boost immunity.
• Eliminate or strictly limit sugar, alcohol, processed foods, caffeine and cooked oils. They can all cause inflammation and add to your toxic load.
• Drink lots of pure, filtered water, herbal teas and vegetable broths to flush toxins and keep your digestion moving.

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Key Supplements for detoxing

Botanical supplements are important for a thorough detox program, and they greatly aid in removing heavy metals and environmental toxins and supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes.

• Modified citrus pectin (MCP): Removes heavy metals and other toxins from the digestive tract, combats inflammation and boosts immunity. In addition, MCP also binds to galectin-3, a protein associated with cancer, heart disease and chronic inflammation. MCP has been clinically proven to eliminate lead, mercury, arsenic and other heavy metals without affecting essential minerals. A specially formulated MCP and sodium alginate blend provides even greater detox benefits.
• A Phase II detox formula contains sulfured amino acids, detoxifying herbs, cilantro, dandelion, milk thistle, garlic, astragalus and other botanicals. Incorporate it into your cleanse for more complete detoxification. Phase II helps removes toxins from deep within organs and tissues, fights free radicals, and boosts vital energy.
• Medicinal mushrooms remove toxins and support immunity, digestion and overall health. I recommend a formula of botanically enhanced medicinal mushrooms, with added beta-glucans to bolster the immune system.
• A comprehensive herbal digestive formula provides herbs, nutrients, enzymes, cardamom, pomegranate, cinnamon, galangal and medicinal mushrooms for complete digestive support. Such a formula can bolster detoxification, support digestion and increase nutrient assimilation, while preventing stagnation in the digestive tract.
• Probiotics improve digestive health by reintroducing beneficial digestive bacteria, which boost immunity, improve nutrient assimilation and support optimal health.

The beauty of a detox program is that it’s easy to customize to your needs and lifestyle. Instead of viewing it as a chore (something you have to do but don’t really want to), consider a gentle spring cleanse to be an opportunity to try new approaches to your diet and overall lifestyle.

And don’t be discouraged if you start a program, yet slip back to old habits because of cravings, convenience, stress or any other trigger.

Be gentle with yourself, and remember you can always begin again if you run into difficulties. I recommend starting with small changes and incorporating more advanced refinements as your momentum continues.

Above all else, a gentle spring cleanse is an opportunity to press reset, refreshing your body and mind with healthy, vibrant foods, targeted supplements and greater vitality in the long run.

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But unlike cleaning the garage, detoxifying the body doesn’t have to be a chore. There are a number of foods that help cleanse and remove toxins from deep within, naturally. By incorporating these and other nutrient-dense detox foods, we nourish our systems and eliminate toxins, clearing the way for optimal health throughout the year.

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Some Top Detoxifying Foods

You’ve probably noticed that many foods that support good health are also intensely colorful. Their vibrant colors are produced by the rich abundance of phytonutrients and antioxidants they contain. Blueberries, carrots and beets are good examples. Beets are especially good detoxifiers and are full of B vitamins and minerals, including zinc, crucial for the immune system. Beets are also full of fiber, to help cleanse the digestive tract. Even better, beets support the liver, the body’s primary filter for toxins.

Turmeric is a bright-yellow root commonly used as a spice in traditional Indian cooking. It is also a staple in Ayurvedic medicine. As happens so often with ancient medical practices, scientific research has confirmed the benefits of turmeric. This spice — and curcumin, its main active ingredient — have been shown to detoxify the body, improve digestion, fight cancer, increase antioxidant protection and enhance immunity, among other benefits.

Sea vegetables are also excellent for supporting detoxification and overall health. They have been part of Asian cuisines for thousands of years and offer remarkable health benefits. Seaweed contains vitamins A, C, E and the B complex; calcium; magnesium; potassium; iron; and other minerals. They also contain compounds that support the removal of toxins, stabilize blood sugar and promote immunity. There are a number of varieties to choose from, including nori, dulse, arame and kelp.

Helpful Meals

Cultured and fermented vegetables should also be on your spring menu. The fermentation process increases digestibility and boosts nutrient profiles significantly. These foods support immunity and aid detoxification. Sauerkraut and kimchee, for example, are sources of probiotics, enzymes and nutrients that support digestion, detoxification and overall health.

Many culinary mushrooms are rich in antioxidants and compounds that help detoxify the body, boost immunity, reduce inflammation and even repair damaged tissue. Shitake, oyster and maitake are excellent examples that can be included in soups, sautés and other savory dishes.

Lemon helps the body remove toxins and is also an excellent tonic for both the liver and gall bladder. In my practice, I recommend a daily dose of an olive oil and lemon mixture during detoxification: Cut an organic lemon into small pieces and blend it with 1¼ cups spring water and a tablespoon of olive oil. Partially strain the mixture, leaving some pulp. (The pectin from the lemon peel helps the digestive tract.) Drink before bed. In addition to supporting detoxification, many of my patients report that this drink helps improve their sleep.

The list of detoxifying foods is so extensive that this topic deserves its own book, and there are many excellent foods that we can eat every day for “clean energy,” so to speak. A daily dose of fresh green vegetables can help cleanse the digestive tract and bloodstream, and extra fiber is also essential.

With their high levels of fiber, flax seeds are ideal to help remove toxins from the digestive tract. They are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Garlic is also a potent detoxifier and provides strong immune support. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables get metabolized into a compound called DIM, which supports immunity, modulates estrogen metabolism and aids detoxification.

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Supplement Well

It’s also helpful to supplement these excellent foods with herbs and botanicals that actively detoxify the body, support antioxidant activity and help reduce “detox reactions” during a cleanse.

One formula I recommend contains modified citrus pectin (MCP) from the pith of citrus peels, together with alginates derived from kelp. This unique formula helps remove heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and arsenic, and environmental toxins. MCP also controls a pro-inflammatory protein called galectin-3. At high levels in the body, galectin-3 can fuel cancer, heart disease, chronic inflammation, fibrosis of organs and tissues, and related conditions.

As noted, medicinal mushrooms support healthy immunity and aid in detoxification. Look for a comprehensive formula grown indoors under controlled conditions, since mushrooms can absorb toxins if cultivated improperly. I recommend a formula with six potent medicinal mushrooms, grown on immune-enhancing herbs to maximize their immune, detoxification and overall health benefits.

Another detoxification formula I rely on in my practice contains sulfured amino acids and other detox-supporting nutrients, together with cilantro, garlic, milk thistle, dandelion and specific Chinese herbal blends. This phase 2 formula can be used alone or together with the MCP and alginate blend to support the deeper removal of heavy metals and toxins from organs and tissues.

Though the body has many mechanisms to get rid of toxins, we’re exposed on a daily basis to many problematic chemicals; and it can be hard to eliminate all of them. A gentle, seasonal cleanse is an excellent way to support the elimination processes, enhance immunity and maintain overall health. Celebrate the renewal of life and energy this spring by taking the right steps to increase your vitality. Whether it’s for three days, three weeks or longer, a gentle and nourishing spring cleanse can help you reach a greater level of health and wellness, naturally.

For more health and wellness information, visit www.dreliaz.org.

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Since they wash right off, many people don’t feel they need to worry about toxins in soaps, shampoos and conditioners.

Worse, many more people don’t even realize they’re washing toxins right into their system through the largest route of exposure: the skin. The truth is transdermal absorption (absorption through the skin into the bloodstream) of chemicals is a very real and serious issue.

If you currently use body products with any of the ingredients listed below, you could be exposing yourself to dangerous levels of health-robbing toxins that disrupt hormones, generate inflammation and oxidation, compromise immunity, and fuel a number of chronic illnesses down the road.

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Parabens

Parabens are a common cosmetics preservative added to eliminate bacteria and fungi. Reducing bacteria levels means the products can stay on the shelf longer. However, parabens are dangerous to more than bacteria, having been linked to increased estrogen levels, which can lead to hormonal disorders and even cancer.

Methylparaben and ethylparaben have been linked to allergies, endocrine disruptions and immunotoxicity. Studies have found that methylparaben applied to the skin can react with UVB radiation, leading to premature skin aging and DNA damage.

Parabens have been found in breast tumors and have also been shown to mimic estrogen.

Parabens have also been linked to skin irritation, contact dermatitis and rosacea in people with paraben allergies.

Quaternium-15

Another ingredient, quaternium-15, is known to release formaldehyde, which is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant. The compound has also been linked to cancer, specifically leukemia. Quaternium-15 is also an allergen and can cause contact dermatitis.

Fragrances

Most deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, body care and baby products contain some type of artificial fragrance. Fragrances are complex and can be made up of as many as 4,000 ingredients. Many of the compounds in fragrances are allergenic, while some are toxic and even carcinogenic.

People have reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a variety of reactions to fragrances, including headaches, dizziness, rashes, coughing, nausea and skin irritation. Fragrance exposure can impair the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability and other behavioral issues.

Methylisothiazoline

In research conducted by the National Institutes of Health, methylisothiazoline (MIT) has been linked neurological damage. The compound can increase the risk of brain defects in unborn children, as well as lead to Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders. This ingredient is commonly found in Head & Shoulders, Suave, Pantene, Clairol and other well-known shampoos.

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Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) make soaps foamy and are found in nearly every brand of shampoo and body wash. Interestingly, they are also used in car washes. These chemicals have been linked to skin and eye irritation, endocrine disruption, possible genetic mutations and cancer.

Glycerol Propylene Glycol

Also used in shampoos, glycerol propylene glycol is closely related to car antifreeze. Propylene glycol can cause dermatitis, dry skin, rashes, kidney and liver issues, and cell membrane damage.

Various oils and synthetic silicone polymers are also added to shampoos, along with thickeners, such as xanthan gum, and emulsifiers, such as glycol stearate.

Colorants

Made from coal tar, colorants are known to cause allergic reactions and cause cancer in animals. Thickeners are also used to change a shampoo’s consistency and appearance. For example, some shampoos generate a “pearly” sheen by adding flakes of wax.

1,4-Dioxane

Very few personal care products list 1,4-dioxane as an ingredient, even though it has been found in 22 percent of the products in the Skin Deep database from the Environmental Working Group. Ironically, 1,4-dioxane is not listed because it is a contaminant, not an intentional ingredient. The chemical is a byproduct of the ethoxylation process. Ethoxylation is a relatively common chemical process that renders harsh cleaning ingredients gentler. However, regardless of intent, it has been linked to numerous health issues. Issues with dioxane:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies dioxane as a probable human carcinogen.
• Under Proposition 65, dioxane is classified in the California as a carcinogen.
• In the journal Cancer’s 2007 review of mammary carcinogens, dioxane was one of 216 chemicals linked to breast cancer.
• The chemical 1,4-dioxane is used to produce varnishes, paints, inks and detergents. It can even get into food via packaging materials or pesticide residue.

Nitrosamines

Cocamide DEA, a foaming agent often added to shampoos, reacts with nitrosating agents to form nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), a potent carcinogen, which can penetrate skin. As a result, some manufacturers test their finished products for nitrosamines. Studies have identified nitrosamines in more than half of all body care products.

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Phenylenediamine

Phenylenediamine (PPD) is present in more than two-thirds of chemical hair dyes and is known to be toxic to the immune system, skin, nervous system, respiratory system, liver and kidneys.

Rinse And Don’t Repeat

The best way to protect yourself is to seek out shampoos and cosmetic products that are low on ingredients with potential harm or, better yet, find products that are completely toxin-free. This may be difficult when shopping at regular supermarkets or salons; however, a search online or visit to your local health food store can help you locate products free of dangerous chemicals. One practical strategy that is not used enough is to add beneficial ingredients to shampoos, such as herbal extracts high in antioxidants that can protect against oxidative and inflammatory damage.

In addition, consuming high amounts of protective ingredients in the form of foods and supplements can help prevent damage and detoxify the body of harmful chemicals.

Some top ingredients include:

• ECGC from green tea extract
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Honokiol extract
• Tocopherols
• Vitamin C
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Modified citrus pectin and modified alginates
• A comprehensive detoxification and antioxidant formula containing dandelion, milk thistle, cilantro, MSM, NAC and other targeted ingredients.

It’s a good idea to engage in regular seasonal detoxification practices, and spring is one of the best times of year to support the organs of elimination (liver, gallbladder, kidneys, digestion, skin, lungs) in their job of removing toxins and metabolic waste products. A healthy detox diet, targeted supplements such as those listed above and regular exercise can go a long way toward eliminating pollutants from the body and optimizing your long-term health.

For more health and wellness information, visit www.dreliaz.org.

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