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®.

Every weekend when the weather is nice, you can find them there, walking across the pristine, perfectly manicured courses as they play.

A few years ago, I became aware that some of the pesticides used to keep that grass lush have been linked with Parkinson’s disease, a well-known neurological condition for which there is no cure.

It’s information I’m always quick to share with any of my golf-playing friends. Some have been a little skeptical, considering the cardiometabolic benefits of golf, but reassured me that they avoid playing on the course immediately after pesticide applications.

Now, new research not only reinforces the potential danger active golfers face, but has revealed an association between just living in close proximity to a golf course and more than double the risk for Parkinson’s…

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Golf course proximity and Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease has been tied to a number of environmental contaminants, including:

• Solvents, like the dry cleaning and degreasing chemical perchloroethylene (PCE), also known as tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene that can contaminate drinking water;
• And herbicides/pesticides like paraquat, simazine, atrazine and lindane — some of which have been used to treat golf courses for years.

Despite this, very few studies have looked at the relationship between pesticide exposure from golf courses and Parkinson’s.

So, a team of U.S. researchers examined 139 golf courses in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, and evaluated 419 Parkinson’s disease cases and 5,113 controls, matched for age and sex, while adjusting for variables including whether the location of the golf course was urban or rural.

Their study found that living within one mile of a golf course was associated with more than double the chances of developing Parkinson’s when compared with living more than six miles away. The odds of Parkinson’s decreased by 9 percent for every one-mile increase in distance from a golf course, up to 18 miles.

That’s not all. Those living within water service areas with a golf course had nearly double the odds of Parkinson’s compared with individuals in water service areas without golf courses, and 49% higher chance of Parkinson’s compared with participants with private wells.

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Vulnerable groundwater regions at high risk

Living in water service areas with a golf course in vulnerable groundwater regions was associated with 82 percent higher odds of contracting Alzheimer’s compared to those in nonvulnerable groundwater regions.

A vulnerable groundwater region is any region with coarse-textured soils, shallow bedrock or karst geology.

“Our study found that both distance from a golf course and karst topography were independently associated with risk of Parkinson’s disease,” study lead Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix told MedPage Today.

“Karst topography describes a region with limestone bedrock that slowly dissolves over time, creating underground voids that allow water from the surface to move more rapidly through it,” she added. “This means that pesticides applied to grass or crops can more readily move into the groundwater supply after a rain.”

Krzyzanowski added that more research is needed to fully understand the risks, and that the researchers plan to replicate the study using a nationwide dataset.

Until then, the findings suggest that people living near golf courses should be aware of the risks and take steps to minimize exposure to these pesticides. Krzyzanowski suggested asking the neighboring golf course about their spraying schedule and staying indoors and away from the course during those times.

She also suggested using a carbon water filter to reduce the risk of contamination from drinking water—advice also offered also by the American Parkinson Disease Association.

Another potentially helpful tip is to consider supplementing CoQ10 and PQQ. Together, these two enzymes help protect the brain’s neuron cells by boosting mitochondria and reducing oxidative stress.

Pollution particles tend to hitch a ride on these neuron cells and travel directly to your cerebellum, so anything that can give them an added boost is a good idea.

Sources:

Risk of Neurologic Disorder Rises for People Who Live Near Golf Courses — MedPage Today

Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease — JAMA Network Open

The post Live near a golf course? Your risk for Parkinson’s may double appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They’re also known as “forever chemicals,” and that’s no exaggeration.

PFAS are carbon atoms, surrounded by fluorine atoms. Because carbon plus fluorine is one of the strongest chemical bonds known in nature, they simply never break down.

It’s almost impossible to avoid these chemicals. They’re in your drinking water, non-stick cookware, carpeting — even in your dental floss.

Can’t finish that meal and ask for a takeout box? You’re bringing home toxic chemicals along with your leftovers.  

PFAS have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage, thyroid disease, and infertility.

And now, we have proof that these forever chemicals attack the very mechanisms our body uses to protect us from diseases of all kinds: our immune system.

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PFAS attacks important immune system cells

Many epidemiological studies have shown an association between increased PFAS exposure and reduced immune responses in children, even after receiving their routine childhood vaccinations.

Environmental researchers in Germany and Italy teamed up to find out whether PFAS are affecting our adult immune systems as well, and if so, just how they’re doing it.

The team, led by Dr. Gunda Herberth of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, developed a special immunological measurement method known as multiparameter spectral flow cytometry.

Using this method, they determined that PFAS reduced the activity of two out of five types of immune cells in particular: MAIT cells (mucosa-associated invariant T cells) and T-helper cells. 

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The importance of MAIT and T-cells

Dr. Herberth explains for us in simple terms why these two types of cells are crucial to our wellness, and why their failure spells disease for us.

MAIT cells are found in our mucous membranes, for example, in the mucous in our nose. That means they’re our body’s first line of defense against pathogens.

“If the activity of MAIT cells is restricted,” she explains, it is much easier for pathogens to invade the body.”

T-cells play a different role. They “are involved in the production of antibodies. If they are inhibited by PFAS, it is likely that fewer antibodies are produced — which could explain the reduced immune response to vaccination.”

Looking at things on a deeper level, Dr. Herberth and her team found that genes that normally play a role in T-cell activation were down-regulated after PFAS exposure.

“Our study clearly shows that PFAS reduce the activity of immune cells. If a person is exposed to high levels of PFAS, this is likely to be reflected in their health. For example, through a higher susceptibility to infections.”

How to avoid PFAS in your daily life

So many conditions and diseases can be traced back to a dysregulated immune system, ranging from viruses to cancer.

Although you can’t eliminate PFAS in your world, there are ways to dramatically lower your risk of exposure:

• Drinking water – don’t assume that bottled water will solve the problem. There’s no guarantee that it’s free of PFAS. You can try filtering your tap water. Granular activated carbon absorption filters, ion exchange resin filters and reverse osmosis filters work the best.
• Look for dental floss that’s PFAS-free.
• Check the Environmental Working Group’s recommendations for safe cosmetics at EWG’s Skin Deep®.
• Replace non-stick or Teflon-coated cookware with cast iron pans or ceramic-coated cookware.

And don’t forget to use vitamin D3 to support your immune system. Unlike D2, there’s evidence that vitamin D3 had a “modifying effect” on the immune system that could fortify the body against viral and bacterial diseases.

Sources:

PFAS reduce the activity of immune cells, study suggests — Science Daily

Mixtures of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reduce the in vitro activation of human T cells and basophils — Chemosphere

Health risks of widely used chemicals may be underestimated — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The post The indestructible toxin attacking your immune system appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because every time you swipe on deodorant, spritz on body spray or sweep product through your hair, you’re layering on a vast trove of dangerous chemicals.

Here’s how many chemicals scientists at Rutgers University say you could be exposed to from your personal care routine — and the most effective ways to reduce that exposure to lower your risks…

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A danger that stacks up fast

According to the researchers, the current regulatory environment in the U.S. is to blame for the chemical burdens our personal care products inflict on our bodies daily.

They say that while the U.S. only bans about a dozen chemicals in our products, the European Union restricts thousands due to a lack of safety data.

Because of this, the researchers set out to determine the burden of chemical accumulation in our bodies.

To do so, the team examined nearly 9,350 specific products used by 593 study participants, rating them for safety based on the chemicals lurking inside and determining exposure levels individually.

Overall, they determined that participants used an average of 14.5 personal care products daily. They ranged from basic items like soap and toothpaste to cosmetics, fragrances and hair styling products.

According to their calculations, the average consumer is exposed to more than one hundred chemicals daily through personal care products (PCPs) alone!

This exposure led to potential health hazards across 17 categories, including cancer risk, developmental toxicity, allergies and endocrine disruption.

Based on product hazard scores, the researchers could also key in on the worst chemical offenders. These included:

• Perfumes and colognes:  The study showed that these personal care basics consistently ranked as the most hazardous products thanks to endocrine-disrupting chemicals called phthalates that all too often lurk within.
• Hair products: The products you use for your hair can also be worrisome. That’s because hair products, particularly those containing endocrine-disrupting ingredients, have been linked to reproductive cancers.
• Skin care products: Products you use on your skin may contain phenols and parabens that have raised concerns about reproductive health issues.

Luckily, there was some good news despite all the bad…

The researchers also determined that some products were better than others. Even within the same product category, formulations varied dramatically, with some products offering somewhat safer havens from the chemical burden.

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Make safer choices part of your personal care routine

“Average exposure was high, but there was a silver lining,” said Emily Barrett, lead author of the study. “We saw signs that people who tried to limit exposure succeeded in doing so, so it’s certainly possible for others as well.”

The researchers even noted that simply by making better choices, you could drop the chemical levels in your body within a matter of days.

Practical steps recommended by the researchers included:

• Using fewer products by cutting out non-essentials,
• Swapping out products for cleaner alternatives as you finish them,
• Using an app or website like Skin Deep to make choosing safer alternatives easy.

There are also three personal care products you might be better off making yourself to keep your risk as low as possible.

Another reason to reduce exposure is to lessen the burden on your liver — the body’s primary detox organ. When the liver gets overwhelmed trying to process the toxins and chemicals it can, it’s not able to keep up with fat and cholesterol metabolism, bile production and fat-to-energy conversion.

While it might be impossible to avoid all chemical dangers, making efforts to reduce your exposure counts when striving to live a longer, healthier life.

Sources:

Hidden in plain sight: the chemical burden of personal care products – EurekAlert!

The post What’s the chemical burden of your personal care routine? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And all of those toxins are showing up in our bodies — where there’s no telling what kinds of horrors they can wreak on our health.

We recently reported on two pesticides that have the power to destroy the action of the sleep hormone melatonin, leaving you at risk for insomnia as well as metabolic disease, diabetes and even cancer.

And now, another study is reporting concerning news…

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have detected a whopping 109 chemicals in the bodies of pregnant women — 55 of which have never been reported in people before — plus 42 “mystery chemicals” whose sources and uses are a complete unknown.

Plasticizers, cosmetics, flame retardants and more

Led by a former EPA scientist, the study analyzed the blood of pregnant women, as well as their newborn children.

And not only were the mothers’ bodies flowing with the chemicals, so were the bodies of their babies, suggesting the chemicals were able to travel from the mother’s placenta to leach into the child’s blood.

“It is alarming that we keep seeing certain chemicals travel from pregnant women to their children, which means these chemicals can be with us for generations,” said Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF.

So where are all these man-made chemicals coming from?

Using mass spectrometry, the team was able to identify most of them, in addition to their uses.

According to the team, they found that:

• 40 are used as plasticizers – These are chemicals that go into things like packaging and paper plates.
• 28 are found in cosmetics – The makeup you put on when you wake up can fill your body with chemicals.
• 25 come from consumer products – This can make up a wide range of the things you use every day from a spatula to candles.
• 29 as pharmaceuticals – Chemicals and drug manufacturing go hand-in-hand.
• 23 as pesticides – These are the toxins they spray on food – many of which are banned in other countries, but still contaminate the U.S. food supply.
• 3 as flame retardants – From mattresses to clothing, flame retardants are located in many items you probably have sitting in your house right now.
• 7 from PFAS compounds – PFAS are used in carpeting, upholstery, non-stick cookware and even waterproof fabrics.

The researchers say there may be other uses for all of these chemicals.

Lack of oversight

And those so-called “mystery chemicals”?

Well, the researchers say they can’t identify them or their use because manufacturers don’t always make their chemical libraries available.

An example of this is the latest PFAS compounds they’re using, which are supposed to be safer and less toxic than the old ones. But who knows, since some manufacturers have chosen to block access to their chemical standards.

“It’s very concerning that we are unable to identify the uses or sources of so many of these chemicals,” Woodruff said. “EPA must do a better job of requiring the chemical industry to standardize its reporting of chemical compounds and uses. And they need to use their authority to ensure that we have adequate information to evaluate potential health harms and remove chemicals from the market that pose a risk.”

Reduce your toxic burden

So how do you avoid becoming a walking pool of chemicals?

Well, you might not be able to give all man-made chemicals a miss, but you can reduce your toxic burdens with these tips:

1. Eat organic – Avoid conventional foods and the pesticides they’re coated in and choose only organic fruits and veggies. Follow the guidance of the Environmental Working Group.
2. Use less plastic – Whether it’s plastic bowls, plastic wrap or Ziploc baggies, anything that’s made of plastic is made of chemicals.
3. Throw out non-stick cookware – Instead of non-stick, choose stainless steel or ceramic cookware to avoid those PFAS.
4. Reduce medication usage – Whenever possible, go natural for your health rather than taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that could increase your toxic burden.
5. Choose chemical-free furniture and mattresses – When shopping for new household items, look for ones without chemicals and flame retardants.
6. Pick natural personal care products – Whether it’s deodorant, makeup, or hair care products, look for natural, plant-based options without the chemicals and toxins.

Another very important factor in decreasing the toxic load in your body is the health of your liver. Your hardworking liver is your body’s main detox organ, responsible for filtering your blood and helping to show the “trash” the way out. There are simple things you can do to support it

Toxins are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept them in our lives and homes, much less in our bodies. Start reducing your toxic burden today to lower the levels of chemicals in your blood in the future.

Sources:

UCSF study finds evidence of 55 new chemicals in people — EurekAlert!

UCSF Study Find Evidence of 55 Chemicals Never Before Reported in People — University of California San Francisco

The post Scientists find 109 chemicals never reported in people before appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But don’t relax too soon…

Lead poisoning and its effects are still going strong.

And according to researchers, they’re to blame for approximately 5.5 million heart deaths each and every year — more than smoking or high cholesterol.

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Lead’s heart-related death rate six times higher

Toxic metals, including heavy metals, are metal compounds that negatively impact human health. And lead is among the most notorious affecting heart health.

For the research, published in the Lancet Planetary Health, researchers used estimates of blood lead levels in 183 countries taken from the landmark 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. Specifically, they set out to nail down the impact of lead on both adult heart health and IQ in children.

While previous research had delved into lead’s contribution to heart disease, this was the first study to take a holistic look at the multitude of ways lead contributes to heart damage and death, including the hardening of arteries that can lead to stroke.

They discovered that lead is responsible for a frighteningly high number of deaths due to heart problems — or approximately 30 percent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. This is a number six times higher than previous estimates.

According to lead author Bjorn Larsen, that would mean lead exposure is a bigger cause of heart disease than smoking or cholesterol.

None of this is surprising to me. Just this past summer the American Heart Association called out three specific metal contaminants for doing the most harm in the form of ischemic heart disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease. One of them was lead.

A first-world problem

Of course, it could be easy to assume this threat mainly affects developing countries, since it was a global report, and mark ourselves safe from the lead problem. That would be a mistake…

In fact, many studies have shown that those of us in the U.S. are at risk of heightened lead exposure from multiple sources:

• Common spices like cumin and coriander
• Decorative plates and glassware (especially the ones we put out during the holidays)
• Dark chocolate
• Drinking water (due to a combination of lead in pipes plus a compound in a chemical used for water treatment)
• Juices and some plant-based milks have been found to contain both lead and arsenic
• Rice grown in the U.S. has been found to contain toxic metals, including lead.

And those of us born before 1996 were exposed to significant lead pollution in the air from leaded gasoline, which can create a harmful legacy not just for our hearts, but also for our brains.

And lead is still in the air we breathe…

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, at the national level, major sources of lead in the air are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation fuel. Other sources are waste incinerators, utilities and lead-acid battery manufacturers. The highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters.

No wonder researchers have identified exposure to air pollution as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

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How to get the lead out

Knowing how you’re exposed to lead and reducing that exposure where possible is only the first thing you can do to protect your heart health.

The next is removing as much lead (and other heavy metal contaminants) from your body, as possible.

When sailors painting military ships were contaminated with lethal levels of lead during the 1950s and after WWII, the U.S. Navy relied on a newly discovered treatment to quickly eliminate the deadly toxins from their bloodstream.

The medical use of EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) was introduced as a lead chelating agent to treat lead poisoning in employees of battery factories and in the sailors exposed to lead paint.

Chelation is simply the process of chemically binding onto heavy metals in the blood so that they can be excreted through the urine.  

And while other compounds can be used as natural heavy metal chelators, the most well-known is EDTA.

In cases of acute lead poisoning, EDTA chelation can be done through IV, but it’s also available in supplement form. You can read more about its other benefits here.

Sources:

Global health burden and cost of lead exposure in children and adults: a health impact and economic modelling analysis — The Lancet Planetary Health Journal

Exposure to One Metal May Cause More Heart Disease Than Smoking or Cholesterol — Science Alert

The post The toxin worse on your heart than smoking or cholesterol appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With the current high cost of food, every time you toss out your leftovers or accidentally let something “go bad,” you’re essentially throwing away your hard-earned money.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A recent study from Ohio State University has shown that the simple answer is making better use of one particular appliance…

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Freezing food means less waste, less loss

Recent estimates suggest that about 30% of food in the United States is wasted. Professor Brian Roe says it’s probably even more than that.

And according to ReFED.org, in 2023, the average American spent $782 on food that went uneaten.

But using data from 2022, Roe and his colleagues have shown that frozen foods make up only about six percent of wasted household food.

That means that if we can get everyone in the habit of freezing food, less food will go to waste.

But this will help far more than your budget…

“Food waste is not just an economic loss — it also causes environmental damage because more than 90% of wasted food goes to the landfill, and this can produce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Lei Xu, first author of the study.

“The findings suggest that in the future, if we can encourage households to have home freezing behaviors, this small change in food storage habits can have a large environmental impact.”

I’m on board with that — and keeping my wallet a little fatter, too.

Familiarize yourself with your freezer

Freezing food is a simple and effective way to take control of your budget and reduce waste.

In addition to freezing leftovers, I’ve gotten in the habit of freezing other food items that I just don’t consume quickly enough.

Take a loaf of bread, for instance. I’ll freeze half the loaf by putting a slice of parchment paper between each slice before placing several into an airtight container and popping in the freezer.

When my bananas get too ripe (and I’m not ready to make banana nut bread), I’ll slice them up and freeze them for smoothies.

You can freeze almost anything. Of course, some foods won’t freeze well, like leafy greens — unless cooked in a soup. Luckily, with the internet at our fingertips, you can look up how to freeze any food you might have questions about. That’s where I learned how to freeze eggs!

The cost of eggs may continue to rise. Treat them like gold if you have a great source for reasonably priced eggs. You can freeze them for up to one year, and it’s pretty simple, according to what I read at Beyond The Chicken Coop.

I usually cook two to four scrambled eggs at a time. So, to prepare some for freezing, crack them into a bowl and discard the shells. Then, add a pinch of salt (it keeps them from becoming gelatinous) and lightly scramble to combine the whites and yolks without allowing too much air into the mixture.

Pour that into a container, add a label that includes the date and how many eggs it contains, and then freeze. I let mine thaw the night before in my refrigerator.

You can also separate and freeze egg whites and yolks separately. But always mix your yolks with salt to ensure a pleasant texture. A muffin tin is great to initially freeze them in before removing them and placing them into a freezer bag.

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Here are some practical tips to help you make freezing food a regular part of your routine. These tips will not only save you money but also ensure you have meals ready to go on those ‘I-don’t-want-to-cook’ nights.

• Use a refrigerator-freezer thermometer (not a food thermometer) to ensure your freezer temperature is zero degrees or less.
• Freeze food in individual portions. It will be more convenient to use them later on.
• Once you defrost frozen food, eat/cook it within a day or two at most. Do not refreeze it.
• Use resealable plastic containers or freezer bags, not glass, which can crack when subjected to rapid changes in temperature.
• Freeze produce when it’s at its peak of freshness. If you freeze mushy berries, you’ll get mushy thawed berries.
• Cool cooked foods before freezing them. Putting something hot into your freezer will warm the foods beside it and make them unsafe to eat.
• Thaw foods like meat, chicken, and fish in the refrigerator overnight. Trying to defrost frozen meats, fish or poultry at room temperature or using warm or hot water may lead to food poisoning.
• Freeze raw meat and seafood as soon as you get it home. Do not keep it in the fridge for three days and then freeze it. Double wrapping (plastic wrap and a zip-top freezer bag) will prevent freezer burn and extend the time it can be kept.
• Fruits like berries freeze well in freezer bags that are vacuum-sealed. Bananas can be frozen in their skin; the skin will turn brown, but the fruit will be fine. Keeping frozen fruit on hand is great for smoothies.
• Vegetables need to be blanched before frozen. Find info on that here.
• Wrapping foods like meat, poultry, fish, or servings of casseroles that do not contain a lot of liquid in parchment paper can protect them from freezer burn and create a barrier between your food and the plastic it’s stored in.
• Wondering how long you can keep various foods frozen? Here’s a handy reference from FoodSafety.gov.

Sources:

How the freezer factors into lowering food waste — Eureka Alert

Frozen food purchasing and homeo freezingof fresh foods: associations with household food waste — British Food Journal

Cold food storage chart — FoodSafety.gov

How to freeze anything —The Spruce

The post The kitchen appliance that fattens your wallet appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You may never realize it’s there unless you’re hit with a food-borne illness that seems to strike out of nowhere.

While you might figure the damp sponge sitting next to your sink is a likely hotbed of bacteria, researchers say there is another spot in our kitchens we should also pay attention to.

Considering how it’s used — you might never suspect germs could flourish there…

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Capable of surviving radiation

According to a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, “Even the microwave oven in your kitchen is not immune to bacteria.”

Shocked? I was…

You’d think the high heat levels and electromagnetic radiation a microwave emits when in use would kill any germs lurking in its interior.

But how wrong I was!

In fact, after swabbing the insides — including the walls and rotating platter — of microwave ovens, scientists identified over 100 bacterial strains living in them.

DNA analysis of the bacterial colonies found these types living in kitchen microwaves:

• Proteobacteria
• Firmicutes
• Actinobacteria
• Bacteroidetes
• Klebsiella
• Brevundimonas

The first four on this list are types of bacteria commonly found on human skin and surfaces that people touch on a regular basis.

However, the last two, Klebsiella and Brevundimonas, are known to cause food-borne diseases.

According to the researchers, it’s not clear how these bacteria are able to survive in microwave ovens, but somehow, they’ve found a way to adapt to getting “nuked.”

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Cleaning your microwave to kill germs

When asked about the results of the study, microbiologist, Manuel Porcar pointed out that the bacteria found inside the microwaves were the same ones you can expect to find on your countertops, in that kitchen sponge, on your refrigerator door handle or on any surface in your kitchen.

“Some of them are pathogenic, and one must clean the microwave as much as any other kitchen surface,” he advised.

So, as long as you clean it thoroughly, there’s “Nothing to be more worried about than the cleaning of any other part of a kitchen in contact with food,” he added.

To clean your microwave:

1. Put the turntable in the dishwasher or wash it by hand with hot, sudsy water and a non-scratch scrub sponge.
2. Combine one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with a cup of water and place in the microwave. Heat mixture for two to five minutes to allow the microwave to fill up with steam and loosen caked-on grime.
3. Wipe down the interior with dish soap and warm water to remove food particles and grease.

To keep bacteria at bay, sanitize your microwave at least once a week, making sure to clean up spills as soon as they happen.

Sources:

More than 100 bacteria species can flourish in microwave ovens – ScienceNews

The post The surprising kitchen appliance that’s a hotbed of bacteria appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With the number of antimicrobial-resistant infections surpassing 2.8 million annually in the U.S. alone, the situation is not just alarming but also on a steady rise.

Recent findings from an international research team have shed light on a new factor contributing to the persistence of antibiotic resistance, adding to our understanding of the issue.

And it makes the best-known reasons for antibiotic resistance (overuse/misuse of antibiotics) pale in comparison…

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Nanoplastics overload and sabotage

As the troubling news has come out, we’ve shared that microplastics and nanoplastics are building up in the human body — found in blood clots, artery-clogging plaques, and human brains.

These plastic particles, smaller than 0.001 millimeters, are considered particularly harmful to humans thanks to their small size.

Because they are so tiny, you never see them, but you consume them in the fish and seafood you eat; they slide into your body when you drink bottled water, leach into your food from take-out containers, and hitchhike into your body on the air in your home.

In fact, the researchers say nanoplastics are a vastly underestimated danger indoors…

“The micro- and nanoplastic load is around five times higher there than outdoors. Nylon is one of the reasons for this: it is released from textiles and enters the body via respiration, for example,” says study author Lukas Kenner.

He and fellow researchers have discovered a new way they bring our health down — by binding to the medication we take and disrupting how it should function…

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Destroying antibiotic effectiveness

Using complex computer models, the researchers proved that nanoplastics can bind the broad-spectrum antibiotic tetracycline, which treats many bacterial infections, such as those of the respiratory tract, skin or intestines.

This binding can not only impair the effect of the drugs, but it could also cause the antibiotic to be transported to areas of the body it wasn’t meant for, so it either loses its intended effects or even causes undesirable effects.

Even worse, it could promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

 “Our finding, that the local concentration of antibiotics on the surface of the nanoplastic particles can increase, is particularly worrying,” said Kenner.

This is especially true considering they saw that certain plastics, such as nylon, can bind more strongly to tetracycline, which could worsen the antibiotic-resistance epidemic.

“At a time when antibiotic resistance is becoming an ever greater threat worldwide, such interactions must be taken into account,” Kenner continued.

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Reducing nanoplastic exposure

With that in mind, how can you limit the amount of nanoplastics your body is exposed to daily?

1. Don’t use nonstick pans – Nonstick cookware gradually loses its coating, releasing tiny plastic particles into the food cooked in them. In fact, a single crack in a Teflon-coated pan can discharge a whopping 9,100 plastic particles.
2. Filter your water – Skip the bottled water and instead use a reverse osmosis filter in your home.
3. Say goodbye to plastic – Toss out plastic food storage containers, dishware, cups, and plastic wrap for food storage. Instead, use glass, stoneware or porcelain.
4. Exercise regularly – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA have been found in sweat, so getting in your exercise may help your body release these dangerous plastics.
5. Eat your veggies – Some cruciferous vegetables can act as chelators by binding to chemicals from plastic so that your body can sweep them from your body. Eat at least two servings of foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, or dark leafy greens like kale daily.

Also, to help your body deal with antibiotic issues, add a probiotic supplement to your daily regimen. Research has shown that people who take probiotics are less likely to require antibiotic treatment.

Sources:

Antimicrobial Resistance Facts and Stats — CDC

Nanoplastics impair antibiotic effectiveness and promote resistance — News Medical Life Sciences

The post The threat increasing your body’s resistance to antibiotics appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

These manmade substances, found in practically everything, never degrade in the environment and end up contaminating our water, soil, air and even our food. They can build up in our bodies, disrupting hormones and leading to a host of health problems including obesity, celiac disease, liver damage and decreased fertility.

Studies have shown that they also raise the risk of diabetes, obesity, asthma and thyroid problems. Unfortunately, it appears we may have only seen the tip of the iceberg…

That’s because a team of scientists at the University at Buffalo has shown that forever chemicals impact our bodies and our health down to the genetic level — making changes that kill off brain cells and damage the nervous system.

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Ruining neuronal health

According to the researchers, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, are particularly concerning because of their unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissues.

Fortunately, they were able to identify 11 genes that they believe hold the key to understanding the brain’s response to these pervasive chemicals.

Their research showed that these genes, critical for neuronal health, were consistently affected by PFAS exposure, either being sent into overdrive or having their action blocked when they came into contact with the forever chemicals.

For example, they found that of the six types of PFAS tested, all of the forever chemicals caused a gene key for neuronal cell survival to express less, and another gene linked to neuronal cell death to express more.

Scary right? Unfortunately, the scientists had even worse news…

The worst of the worst

The research also revealed which type of forever chemical is the biggest and baddest of all.

The study showed that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — a forever chemical once commonly used in nonstick pans and only recently labeled as hazardous by the EPA — was by far the most dangerous.

That’s because despite its small uptake in the body, PFOA altered the expression of an absolutely alarming number of genes — close to 600. (The highest number of genes the other compounds were capable of impacting rang in at 147.)

Specifically, PFOA decreased the expression of genes involved in synaptic growth (the formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system) and neural function.

Together, exposure to the six PFAS results in alterations of vital biological pathways that affect:

• Hypoxia (low oxygen) signaling
• Oxidative stress
• Protein synthesis
• Amino acid metabolism

Each of these pathways is critical to healthy neuronal development and function.

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Reducing PFAS exposure

These genetic effects of PFAS make reducing your exposure one of the most important things you can do for your body.

Simple first steps include:

1. Avoiding plastic – Skip plastic water bottles and throw out plastic dishware.
2. Getting rid of non-stick cookware – Instead go for stainless steel or ceramic cookware.
3. Eating organic – Because the pesticides that coat conventional fruits and vegetables contain forever chemicals, it’s best to stick with organic options whenever possible.
4. Going natural for your personal care products – Look for natural, plant-based makeup, deodorant, menstrual products and hair care products.
5. Filtering your water – Use a reverse osmosis filter is to remove as many PFAS as possible from your drinking water.

Finally, because we all have a buildup of forever chemicals in our bodies, consider taking steps to better support your body’s detox systems.

The best way to do this is to exercise and sweat on a regular basis. And you can also add these nine detoxifying foods to your diet to help cleanse and nourish your body from deep within.

Sources:

These 11 genes may help us better understand forever chemicals’ effects on the brain — Science Daily

The post Forever chemicals: Hijacking genes to kill brain cells appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, they’d become a part of my wellness practices. When I’d take a relaxing bath, I always lit a candle or two to create a spa-like atmosphere…

When I’d ready myself for a little mindful meditation, lighting a candle in my quiet space was part of a routine that helped me clear my mind.

And during certain times of the year, especially holidays, candles just help set the mood.

That’s why I was surprised to learn that something I was doing to create positive feelings in my home presented some significant health hazards.

Here are the health dangers you need to be aware of, as well as a few simple tips to decrease your risks…

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The problem with candles

Common issues people experience due to candle use include everything from vertigo, headaches and respiratory issues to watery eyes, sneezing, stuffy nose, chest tightness and a dry or irritated throat.

However, those might actually be the least of your worries…

According to researchers reporting in the Annals of Medicine & Surgery, “When scented candles are lit indoors, several harmful gasses are released. They range greatly, from those known to have no effect on health except for those that may be cancerous.”

These gases can contain:

• Carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxide – These increase levels of indoor air pollution, lowering the quality of air you breathe.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) – Compounds like benzene, formaldehyde, naphthalene, anthracene and pyrene have been found in candles and are well-known carcinogens.
• Phthalates or endocrine disruptors – These significantly impact hormone levels and worsen allergy and asthma symptoms. Phthalates are specifically found in scented candles because they are used to make synthetic fragrances to give the candles their aromas.
• Particulate matter – When candles are burned, a mix of solid and liquid particles (or soot) is formed. Unfortunately, these particles are so tiny that when you breathe, they are capable of entering deep into your lungs, where they are swept into your bloodstream. This could raise your chances of not only respiratory issues such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma but also lung and other cancers.

Additionally, the toluene derivatives and benzidine-based dyes that are used to color many candle waxes can lead to their own dangers, since they have been associated with urothelial cancer development — a type of cancer that mainly attacks the bladder and kidneys.

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Tips for safer candle use

So, how can enjoy burning candles in your home more safely?

First, it’s important to note that the National Candle Association recommends following the candle manufacturer’s instructions for ideal burn time, while not exceeding four hours of candle use per day.

Also, only burn candles in a well-ventilated space and limit the number you burn at the same time. This matters because most candles are made with paraffin wax which produces more VOCs and soot compared to natural waxes such as soy or beeswax. So, choose candles made from these natural materials if you can.

Some experts suggest candles scented with essential oils rather than synthetic perfumes to minimize your phthalate exposure; however, highly concentrated and potent essential oils can emit VOCs.

Reducing soot exposure can also help. Easy ways to do this include:

• Trimming candle wicks to one-fourth of an inch.
• Removing debris around the wick.
• Snuffing out candles before they begin to smolder.
• Never place candles near fans, air conditioners or open windows where air movement interferes with the candle’s oxygen supply.

Finally, after putting out scented candles, air out the room to get rid of the chemical compounds produced while burning.

And because it never hurts to do everything you can to rid your body of all of the harmful toxins that you’re exposed to on a daily basis (including the chemicals from candles), check out these five ways to detox daily without a diet.

Sources:

The unknown risks of scented candles! what science has to say: an editorial — NIH

The Dirty Truth About Scented Candles — MEDPAGETODAY

The post The hidden hazards of burning candles in your home appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But those plates and cups adorned with golden turkeys, silver bells and even Santa’s jolly red suit, may be less innocent than they look…

They may contain surprisingly high levels of the toxic heavy metals lead and cadmium.

Now, I’m not trying to put a damper on your holiday. But I think if you’re going to use this type of dishware you should know there may be a health risk involved…

Lead and cadmium are heavy metals that can negatively impact your health in many ways. Studies show exposure to these toxic metals is connected to a shorter lifespan, a higher cancer risk and are worse on your heart than cholesterol and smoking.

The stakes are even higher if you’re feeding kids and grandkids off these dishes. You already know how bad lead paint is for the neurological development of children. So just imagine the impact of lead-laced cups and plates.

The good news is, that once you’re aware of this risk lurking in your kitchen cabinets, you can make wise choices to reduce your exposure.

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Are cadmium and lead leaching from your dishware?

A study from researchers at the University of Plymouth in the UK found that dishware painted with decorative designs contains potentially toxic levels of lead and cadmium.

These researchers conducted 197 tests on 72 new and used glass products, like tumblers, beer and wine glasses and jars. And they found dangerous heavy metals on the surface of the glassware and sometimes even on the rims.

Alarmingly, some of these dishes contained lead concentrations that were 1,000 times higher than the recommended limit. And it seems, that the more you use and wash these decorative dishes, the more likely the paint is to chip off and end up in your body.

Another recent study from researchers at the University of Plymouth found that the paint on playground equipment also contains dangerously high levels of lead, but the risk from drinking glasses is far greater, according to researchers.

Researchers said that lead and cadmium were found in both the paint and the glaze of decorative glassware and that about 70 percent of the products they analyzed tested positive for these heavy metals.

Lead was found in all decorative paint colors, as well as gold leaf designs. The greatest risk for cadmium exposure came from red enamel (That means, those Christmas designs are probably pretty dangerous).

The US Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says that lead concentration on the lip area of decorative cups should be limited to 200 parts per million (ppm) and cadmium concentrations should be limited to 800 parts per million (ppm). Lead concentrations on the glassware that researchers studied, however, ranged from 40 to 400,000 ppm for lead and 300 to 70,000 ppm for cadmium.

And even though researchers only studied drinking glassware, they did confirm that the same type of paint and glaze are used for a variety of items in your kitchen, including beer, wine and liquor bottles, egg cups, jugs, measuring cups, coasters and chopping boards.

“Given that safer alternatives are available to the industry, the overall results of this study are both surprising and concerning,” Dr. Andrew Turner, lead researcher in the study. “I believe consumers should be made aware of this, while retailers and the glass industry have the responsibility to eliminate toxic metals from decorated products.”

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Avoiding heavy metals in your dishware

Now, don’t get discouraged if you love your collection of holiday dishware. The fact is, if you’re only using decorative dishware during the holidays, your exposure is pretty minimal and the risk involved is probably low. But if you’re using potentially dangerous dishware every day, that’s another story…

That’s precisely how this entire family got lead poisoning if you would like to read about their experience. They picked up what they thought was a nice set of daily dishware while on vacation, and it was anything but.

Because of the concern, easy at-home tests are available to test dishes, jewelry, toys and other items that could potentially harbor toxic metals, especially lead. A simple search on Amazon pulled up this one for me.

For everyday use, choose plain plates and cups — no paint and no designs — just to be safe. Organic inks are also becoming more popular in dishware, so search for decorative options that use these instead of the metallic variety. That way, you can still have a fun, festive and safe holiday!

Sources:

1. D. Vaziri, H.C. Gonick. “Cardiovascular effects of lead exposure.” — Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2008 Oct;128(4):426-35.
2. Lead Exposure in Adults – A Guide for Health Care Providers — New York State Department of Health. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
3. Drinking glasses can contain potentially harmful levels of lead and cadmium — MedicalXpress. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
4. “High levels of migratable lead and cadmium on decorated drinking glassware.” — Science of the Total Environment, 2017.

The post Avoid hidden heavy metals this holiday season appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an easy and inexpensive way to head off the “crud” the kids inevitably transport home and to anyone else they come in contact with?

Well, research indicates there just might be a non-drug way to help them get over these infections quickly — and reduce the spread…

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Saline nasal drops could do the trick

A team of researchers enrolled 407 children aged up to six years in the ELVIS-Kids study. When they developed a cold they were either given either their usual care or hypertonic saline ~2.6 percent (saltwater) nasal drops.

Overall, 301 children developed a cold. In the nasal drops group, parents were given sea salt and taught to make and apply the nasal drops to their children’s noses. They administered three drops per nostril at least four times a day until the child was well.

The researchers found children using saltwater nose drops had cold symptoms for an average of six days, compared with the children receiving usual care, who had symptoms for eight days. The children receiving nose drops also needed fewer medicines during their illness.

“Children have up to 10 to 12 upper respiratory tract infections, what we refer to as colds, per year, which have a big impact on them and their families,” says Steve Cunningham, a professor at the University of Edinburgh. “There are medicines to improve symptoms, such as paracetamol [acetaminophen] and ibuprofen, but no treatments that can make a cold get better quicker.”

When children received saltwater nose drops, 46 percent of their households reported family members catching a cold, compared with 61 percent of households for children receiving usual cold care.

Also, 82 percent of parents reported that nose drops helped the child recover quickly, and 81 percent said they would use nose drops in the future.

“Reducing the duration of colds in children means that fewer people in their house also get a cold, with clear implications for how quickly a household feels better and can return to their usual activities like school and work, etc.,” Cunningham says. “Our study also showed that parents can safely make and administer nose drops to their children and therefore have some control over the common cold affecting their children.”

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Why it works

ELVIS-Kids chief investigator Dr. Sandeep Ramalingam, a consultant virologist for NHS Lothian in Edinburgh, U.K., notes that saltwater solutions are often used by people in South Asia as nasal irrigation and gargling to treat a cold.

The way the drops work hinges on the salt, or sodium chloride, in the water. “Chloride is used by the cells lining the nose and windpipes to produce hypochlorous acid within cells, which they use to defend against virus infection,” Cunningham says. “By giving extra chloride to the lining cells, this helps the cells produce more hypochlorous acid, which helps suppress viral replication, reducing the length of the virus infection, and therefore the duration of symptoms.”

Ultimately, saltwater nasal drops represent a safe, simple and inexpensive solution for reducing the duration of colds by two days, thus slashing the health and economic burden of colds on families.

The researchers hope to further study the effect of saltwater nose drops on wheeze-related colds. Initial results from this study showed children who received the drops had significantly fewer episodes of wheezing (5 percent versus 19 percent in children receiving the usual treatment).

To make your own saline nasal drops at home, add 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups distilled or boiled water that must cooled to room temperature before use. You can then use a sterile squeeze bottle to apply them.

If making your saline solution seems like too much of a hassle, saline nasal drops and sprays are inexpensive and readily available in drugstores. There are brands made specifically for use in children and for adults.

And even though saline solution drops were only tested in children, it probably would make sense for adults to try them as well to reduce cold duration — given how easy they are to use and what we’ve learned about how chloride from salt is instrumental in immune defense, why not?

Sources:

Saline nasal drops reduce the duration of the common cold in young children by two days — EurekAlert!

Saline Nasal Washes for Children: Care Instructions — MyHealthAlberta.ca

The post Using saltwater to shorten colds and stop the spread appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In the summer, well … even a sheet is sometimes too much.

Recently, a study revealed that my cool sleep habits not only help me feel more comfortable so I sleep better — but they may also cut down on my stroke risk…

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An overheated room is a stroke risk

Being too hot is one of the top five reasons that people have trouble falling asleep at night, right up there with insomnia and a racing mind.

And we know there are consequences if poor sleep becomes a chronic problem.

Now, a new study has found that being overheated while sleeping is linked to a very specific danger: it increases the risk of stroke, especially in women and the elderly.

A research team at Augsburg University Hospital in Germany analyzed data on around 11,000 strokes over fifteen years, they determined that extreme heat at night increases the risk of stroke by seven percent.

Now, seven percent may not sound like a lot.

But consider this: there are about 169 million women in the United States alone. And seven percent of that number is 11,830,000.

That means that excessive heat could potentially cause almost 12 million strokes that might not happen otherwise.

The scientists behind the research believe climate change is contributing to the problem…

That’s because from 2006 to 2012, hot nights resulted in two additional strokes per year, while from 2013 to 2020, there were 33 additional cases per year.

But even without taking climate change into account, it’s not hard to see how any of us could be sleeping in bedrooms where temperatures get too warm, especially during the summer months.

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How hot is hot?

For purposes of this study, a temperature of 58.28 degrees Fahrenheit was considered the threshold for defining a “Hot Night Excess Index.”

That temperature was exceeded only on the five warmest nights during the study period.

That’s almost 60 degrees. On a warm spring or summer night, it’s easy to see how a poorly ventilated room without air conditioning could reach temperatures much higher.

“Elderly people and women are particularly at risk, and it is mainly strokes with mild symptoms that are diagnosed in clinics after hot nights,” says the study’s lead author, Dr. Cheng He.

Is YOUR bedroom a stroke risk?

My bedroom is at the top of the house (it used to be the attic). And heat rises.

I’ve combated this by installing a ceiling fan. If you can’t do this, then invest in a large floor fan that can blow directly at your bed.

I also keep the roof window open wide, allowing cooler nighttime air in. With my bedroom door open as well, there’s plenty of cross-ventilation.

During the dog days of summer, I use a portable air conditioning unit. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may have an air-conditioned home and might want to reconsider your nighttime setting.

Even if you don’t feel your bedroom is too warm when you bed down for the night, pay attention to how often you wake up before morning because that’s often a clue. What you don’t want is to wake up sweating, because that probably means your room’s too warm.

Also, don’t overdress for bed during the warmer months. In fact, you should consider sleeping without any clothing at all. Studies show that those who do tend to experience more restful, high-quality sleep.

If you need extra help, supplementing folate can keep your blood moving by increasing nitric oxide to aid in cooling the skin and reducing risk for heart problems. Eating beets will as well if you’re a fan! They are rich in folate and many other protective nutrients.

Sources:

Night-time heat significantly increases the risk of stroke — Science Daily

Hot Nights Raise Stroke Risk — Neuroscience News

Nocturnal heat exposure and stroke risk — European Heart Journal

The post Nighttime heat: The stroke risk we didn’t know about 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®.

The company that manufactures the product, ALB-USA Enterprises, has complied and the recalled product has been removed from store shelves where it was distributed from December 15, 2022, until May 13, 2024, including:

• New York
• Connecticut
• Michigan
• Massachusets

The UPC number “5304000333362” appears on the back of the packaging, along with a “best before” date of “30/08/2025” and the lot number “LA02.”

You can access the FDA’s full statement here.

What Should You Do

The FDA typically recommends that consumers:

• Stop using this product and dispose of it immediately. 
• Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve this ground cinnamon product and should discard it.  
• This product has a long shelf life. Consumers should check their pantries and discard the product.  
• If there’s suspicion that someone has been exposed to elevated levels of lead, talk to your healthcare provider. Most people have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead exposure. 

According to the FDA recall, “It is possible that increased blood lead levels may be the only apparent sign of lead exposure,” the recall notice states.

If a child is exposed to enough lead for a protracted period of time (e.g., weeks to months) permanent damage to the central nervous system may occur. For adults, chronic lead exposure is associated with kidney dysfunction, hypertension, and neurocognitive effects.”

ALB-USA Enterprises and the FDA are investigating what caused the contamination. Customers with additional questions or concerns can contact the company over the phone at 917-922-5627 or 929-431-8505 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday to Friday.

To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), you can

• Call an FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator if you wish to speak directly to a person about your problem.
• Complete an electronic Voluntary MedWatch form online.
• Complete a paper Voluntary MedWatch form that can be mailed to the FDA.

You may recall that other ground cinnamon products were recalled in March 2024 as well.

Spices: A growing heavy metal threat

Some studies have found that lead contamination in spices is second only to lead contamination from paint.

Those studies have also found that the average lead content in spices was significantly higher in spices purchased abroad, from countries including Georgia, Pakistan, Nepal and Morocco than in the United States.

However, a Consumer Reports (CR) investigation found brand-name herbs and spices might contain arsenic, cadmium, and lead — three contaminants the American Heart Association links to an increase in heart disease risk.

In 2021, CR tested 126 such products from McCormick, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other popular brands, finding almost one-third had heavy metal levels high enough to raise health concerns.

Research from 2018 also identified chili powder, cumin, coriander, anise, turmeric and vanilla as spices that could contain higher amounts of lead.

Sources:

FDA Public Health Alert for Additional Ground Cinnamon Product Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead — U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Spice Recall Sparks Warning in Four States — Newsweek

A Spoonful of Lead: A 10-Year Look at Spices as a Potential Source of Lead Exposure — Journal of Public Health Management & Practice

Heartland study finds spices second only to paint for the lead poisoning of children — Food Safety News

The post Another spice-related recall for lead contamination appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And that’s a shame because gardening comes with health benefits beyond growing your own organic food or favorite succulents…

For starters, it’s a great outdoor activity that supports good joint health and reduces stress. Even better, people who are dedicated gardeners get a significant longevity boost from it.

And if your “garden” only consists of houseplants, well, you can thank them for keeping your indoor air clean.

Now, there’s even more evidence of gardening’s positive impact on our health — especially for those like me who live in an urban environment…

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Soil, microbes and your immune system

Research has previously shown us that getting our hands dirty has benefits.

That’s because contact with microbially rich materials derived from nature, like dirt and plants, alters the human microbiota.

In a collaborative study between the University of Helsinki, Natural Resources Institute Finland and Tampere University in Finland, subjects committed to try their hand at urban gardening to see if gardening on a constrained level could still be of benefit.

One group of participants used a growing medium for their plants that had high microbial diversity emulating the forest soil — while the other used a microbially poor peat-based medium that’s widely used, especially when getting plants from a nursery.

The results were amazing. After one month of gardening indoors, the participants who used the forest soil medium experienced an increase in their skin’s bacterial diversity and higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules in the blood.

But the peat-based medium group? They had none of these benefits.

What this means is that gardening could lead to long-term changes in immune system functioning — but microbes are the key.

“The findings are significant, as urbanization has led to a considerable increase in immune-mediated diseases, such as allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases, generating high healthcare costs,” says doctoral researcher Mika Saarenpää from the University of Helsinki. “We live too ‘cleanly’ in cities.”

Saarenpää notes that urbanization leads to reduced microbial exposure and changes in the human microbiota. “This is the first time we can demonstrate that meaningful and natural human activity can increase the diversity of the microbiota of healthy adults and, at the same time, contribute to the regulation of the immune system,” he says.

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Urban gardening: Little space, big benefit

Saarenpää says at its best, microbe-mediated immunoregulation can lower the risk of immune-mediated diseases or potentially even reduce their symptoms. Increasing this healthy microbial exposure at the population level could even reduce the healthcare costs and improve people’s quality of life.

“We don’t yet know how long the changes observed in the skin microbiota and anti-inflammatory cytokines persist, but if gardening turns into a hobby, it can be assumed that the regulation of the immune system becomes increasingly continuous,” he adds.

According to Saarenpää, exposing children to nature and microbes is especially important since immune system development is most active in childhood. He recommends introducing plant boxes filled with microbially rich soil at kindergartens, schools and even hospitals, especially those located in densely built urban areas.

To minimize risks associated with urban gardening, he cautions to ensure the skin on your hands is unbroken and avoid inhaling dusty growing media.

So, if you live in an apartment in an urban area like me, what can you do to gain the benefits of gardening?

Beneficial microbial exposure through gardening can be practiced easily at home year-round with minimal space or financial investment.

In the study, participants gardened in regular flower boxes filled with plants like peas, beans, mustards and salads that came from regular shops.

It’s easy to start growing plants indoors, near a window. Then, if you’re lucky enough to have access to a balcony or roof space, or even a tiny plot of a yard, you could move your garden outdoors when the weather warms up.

That way, you’ll gain the benefits of fresh air and sunshine along with the microbial benefits of the garden.

Sources:

1. Urban gardening may improve human health – Research subjects benefitted from microbial exposure that boosts the immune system — EurekAlert!

2. Urban indoor gardening enhances immune regulation and diversifies skin microbiota — A placebo-controlled double-blinded intervention study — Environment International

The post Grow an indoor garden and watch your immune system flourish appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But it can be dangerous to think of the skin as impervious. After all, things like ultraviolet rays from the sun can penetrate skin with ease if it’s not protected with sunblock or clothing. And of course, small cuts and scrapes can leave an opening for invaders to slip into the body.

Now there’s more evidence that even when intact, the skin isn’t impenetrable when it comes to a phenomenon that permeates our modern world…

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The skin can absorb PFAS

By now, you have probably heard of “forever chemicals.” These chemicals are called that because they don’t break down in nature. They hang around in our food, water, soil, and air, just waiting for us to come along and ingest them.

These nasty little substances include chemicals like PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), which are used widely in industry and consumer products from clothing to furniture to personal care products because they repel water and stains. Some of these substances have been banned by the government, but others are still widely used.

While the toxic effects of PFAS have yet to be fully studied, investigators have found links between these chemicals and adverse health effects like celiac disease, a lowered immune response, impaired liver function, decreased fertility, and decreased birth weight. Not to mention PFAS can raise your risk of high blood pressure,  diabetes, obesity, asthma and thyroid disease.

We know PFAS can enter the body by being breathed in or ingested via food or drinking water. But until now, it wasn’t clear if they could enter through the skin as well.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom studied 17 different PFAS that are among the most widely used and widely investigated for their toxic effects.

Of the 17 PFAS tested, 15 proved to be substantially absorbed by the lab-grown dermal models used, meaning at least 5 percent of the exposure dose was absorbed. Absorption into the bloodstream of PFOA, for instance, was 13.5 percent, with a further 38 percent of the applied dose retained within the skin, where it could be absorbed into the bloodstream over the longer term.

“The ability of these chemicals to be absorbed through skin has previously been dismissed because the molecules are ionized,” says lead author Dr. Oddný Ragnarsdóttir. “The electrical charge that gives them the ability to repel water and stains was thought to also make them incapable of crossing the skin membrane.”

Unfortunately, Ragnarsdóttir adds, “this theory does not always hold true” and “in fact, uptake through the skin could be a significant source of exposure to these harmful chemicals.”

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Short-chain PFAS more absorbable

As if this finding wasn’t sobering enough, the researchers discovered substances with longer carbon chains showed lower levels of absorption than compounds with shorter carbon chains. These shorter carbon chain molecules have been introduced to replace longer chain PFAS like PFOA, which is among the most regulated of the PFAS. For example, at 59 percent, absorption of perfluoro pentanoic acid was four times that of PFOA.

What that means is our skin may actually be absorbing far more of these short-chain PFAS, flooding our bodies with these forever chemicals.

“This study helps us to understand how important exposure to these chemicals via the skin might be and also which chemical structures might be most easily absorbed,” says study co-author Stuart Harrad, a professor at the University of Birmingham. “This is important because we see a shift in industry towards chemicals with shorter chain lengths because these are believed to be less toxic — however the trade-off might be that we absorb more of them, so we need to know more about the risks involved.”

There is really no way to completely dodge these forever chemicals. Even if all PFAS were banned tomorrow, our environment would still be filled with them, making it all but impossible to avoid them. But there are some steps you can take to minimize your exposure:

• Invest in a high-quality reverse osmosis water filter. Drinking water is one of the main sources of PFAS exposure.
• Wash new clothes before wearing them. Washing your clothes will at least lower the amount of PFAS exposure risk.
• Look for products that are free of PFAS. Products commonly made with PFAS include water-resistant clothing, nonstick cookware and cosmetic products. If you can’t avoid buying these products, check to see if they have ingredients with “perfluoro” or “fluoro” in their names.
• Skip fast food, takeout and microwave popcorn. Consumption of these foods has been linked with higher levels of PFAS contamination. If you must get takeout, transfer the food from its packaging to your own dishes as quickly as possible to minimize PFAS exposure.

A detox cleanse is considered a way to help rid your body of toxins, but unfortunately, PFAS are difficult to detoxify. What the body can remove is handled by the liver. So in the case of PFAS, I’d recommend supporting your liver so it’s not overwhelmed and can do it’s best job.

Sources:

New study confirms forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin — EurekAlert!

Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models — Environment International

What Are PFAS + What Products Contain Toxic Levels? — ConsumerNotice.org

The post The alarming truth about ‘forever chemicals’ and your skin appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This was the first study of its kind to draw a link to their impact on human health.

Now, a new study indicates another potentially life-threatening area in which these tiny plastic particles are showing up inside the body…

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Microplastics in blood clots

Researchers in China examined 30 patients who had surgery to remove blood clots after experiencing a stroke, heart attack or deep vein thrombosis, a condition where clots form in the deep veins of the legs or pelvis.

The patients were 65 years old on average, with various health histories and lifestyles such as smoking, alcohol use, high blood pressure or diabetes. They all used plastic products daily and were roughly split between urban and rural areas.

What the researchers found was alarming. They detected microplastics at varying concentrations in 24 of 30 blood clots studied. That means microplastics were found in 80 percent of the blood clots!

The researchers found a potential link between the levels of microplastics in blood clots and severity of disease. People with higher levels of microplastics in their blood clots also had higher D-dimer levels than patients with no microplastics in their clots. D-dimer is a protein fragment released when blood clots break down.

The presence of elevated D-dimer led the researchers to suspect that microplastics might somehow be massing together in blood to make clotting worse — and intend to make that their next focus of research.

“These findings suggest that microplastics may serve as a potential risk factor associated with vascular health,” Tingting Wang, a clinician-scientist at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College in China, and colleagues write in their paper.

This furthers the results of a 2023 study that found chemical “fingerprints” of microplastics in 16 surgically removed blood clots.

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More plastics, more problems

Previously microplastics have also been found in human lung tissue and blood samples.

This is proof that we are fast becoming what we eat, drink and even inhale when it comes to our polluted environment.

“Due to the ubiquity of microplastics in the environment and in everyday products, human exposure to [microplastics] is unavoidable,” Wang and colleagues warn. “As such, microplastic pollutants have sparked growing concern due to their widespread presence and potential health implications.”

Is there anything we can do, at least in our homes?

Yes, start with the water you drink. Researchers from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China discovered a way to remove 90 percent of microplastics from faucet water — no special equipment needed. You can read how here.

Also, try to get two or more servings daily of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables. These foods may bind to chemicals from plastics and remove them from the body in a process called chelation. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula and dark leafy greens like kale.

Sources:

Microplastics Found in Blood Clots in Heart, Brain, And Legs — Science Alert

Multimodal detection and analysis of microplastics in human thrombi from multiple anatomically distinct sites — eBioMedicine

The post Microplastics are building up in blood clots appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Despite what most might think, the bacteria that dogs carry can actually make you less likely to get sick. Dogs have been known to detect cancer in their owners, and living with a canine friend can make you happier and less apt to become depressed.

More and more senior living facilities are becoming pet-friendly. They recognize that pets encourage social interaction and physical activity, both of which can benefit heart health.

In return for all they do, it’s only fair that we protect our pets and keep them safe. This can be challenging during the holiday season. With all kinds of dangerous and unusual items around the house, curious pets can get hurt, become sick or even die when they go investigating.

Our pets are part of the family, and they want to celebrate with us. Here are more than a dozen tips for making it a safe holiday season for your furry friends.

Christmas tree dangers

The National Fire Protection Association reports that an average of 170 home fires a year start with a Christmas tree. An artificial tree may not smell as good, but it’s a lot safer.

Here are some tips to “pet-proof” your tree:

Avoid low-hanging ornaments and lights. Pets like to lay underneath your tree and will break ornaments and get tangled in lights. Cat owners who have “climbers” may want to opt for unbreakable ornaments.

If you don’t want to use plastic ornaments, opt for handmade paper ones along with dried fruit on strings.

No candy or nuts on or under the tree. Pets are persistent and will get at the treats. Chocolate and some nuts, including macadamia nuts, are toxic to your pets.

Use twine instead of metal hooks. Metal hooks can hurt pets’ eyes and mouths, and cause bleeding if swallowed. Twine is more easily digested, if it comes to that, and gives our tree a more homemade look.

Steer clear of tinsel. Not only are your pets attracted to its sparkle, but it can really harm them. If it gets caught in their intestines, it can cause problems that require expensive surgery.

Make your tree tip-proof. Anchor your tree with some fishing line looped around the trunk and into a bolt in the wall behind it. This can also be done from the top of the tree into a bolt in the ceiling.

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Other dangerous decorations

Toxic Christmas plants. Holly, mistletoe, and poinsettias are poisonous for your pets. Keep these plants way out of reach, or consider the artificial version.

Pine needles from your tree aren’t toxic, but they are small and sharp and can injure your pet’s mouth and intestines. Keep your tree well-watered to minimize fallen needles, and sweep them up every day.

Watch those candles! At any time of the year, a lit candle and a pet should never be left alone together! It doesn’t take long at all for a cat to jump on a table and knock over a candle.

Homemade salt-dough ornaments may seem safe enough, but the amount of salt they contain can make a dog very sick or prove fatal.

Food hazards

Sweets are not sweet for your pet! Chocolate or anything with the artificial sweetener xylitol is extremely dangerous for dogs. Even small amounts can cause low blood sugar, seizures, liver failure or even death.

Safeguard your dinner table leftovers, your garbage, and any other place where sweet treats lurk.

Safeguard your alcohol. If drinks are being passed around, your dog might easily lap up some spilled wine or cocktails. Drinking alcohol can make them weak, sick and even cause them to go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.

Pet-safe parties

Set the house rules. Make sure your guests know exactly what they should and should not feed your cat or dog. For the most part, table scraps should be off-limits.

Lock up the meds. Some of your guests may carry necessary medications in their purses or coat pockets. Ask your guests to make sure medications are zipped away in a place where an adventurous pet can’t get to them. You might even offer to store coats and purses in a separate room and keep that door closed to keep Fido out.

A room of their own. Many pets may need a place to escape the noise of a holiday gathering. Give them a room of their own complete with food and water (and a litter box for cats).

New Year’s noise. Noisy poppers can potentially damage a pet’s sensitive ears. And remember that pets are also scared of fireworks. In general, as the countdown to New Year’s approaches, it’s best if your pet has a quiet space to retreat from all the noise.

Also bear in mind that confetti can get lodged in a cat’s intestines if ingested, often requiring surgery.

Sources:

1. How to Dog-Proof Your Christmas Tree — Pet Central by Chewy
2. 8 Tips to Dog-Proof your Christmas Tree (and Tree-Proof your Dog) — The Dog People by Rover.com
3. Holiday Safety Tips — ASPCA
4. How to Keep Your Pets Safe During the Holidays — The New York Times 

The post 13 ways to make the holidays safe for your pet appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We buy organic fruits and vegetables and we look for grass-fed, antibiotic-free options in our meat.

Many of us have even turned to green cleaning products to keep our homes spotless.

Sadly, it seems that the word “green” in many of those products is more marketing hype than fact.

That’s because according to researchers from the University of York, many of those products emit just as many harmful chemicals as regular cleaning products — and that’s leaving you and your family paying more for a false sense of security…

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A little formaldehyde anyone?

Cleaning products emit a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that seep into the air of your home, where they’re breathed into your lungs and picked up onto your skin from the surface you touch. Some of these compounds are immediately hazardous to your health, while others undergo chemical transformations after use that generate harmful secondary pollutants.

Because “green” cleaners are supposed to be much safer, those York researchers set out to pit 10 regular and 13 green cleaners against each other, measuring the VOC composition of each.

And what they found may come as a big surprise…

The researchers found that fragranced green cleaners actually emitted more of a hazardous type of compound known as monoterpenes than regular cleaners. This resulted in increases in harmful secondary pollutant concentrations following use.

And hold onto your hats because those secondary pollutants that came with using green cleaning solutions included both formaldehyde and peroxyacyl nitrates.

Peroxyacyl nitrates are powerful eye and respiratory irritants, making them a worry to anyone living with asthma or other lung issues. And formaldehyde is a known carcinogen!

The researchers concluded that “Our research found there is no strong evidence to suggest that clean green products are better for indoor air quality compared to regular products.

“In fact, there was very little difference. Many consumers are being misled by the marketing of these products and could be damaging the air quality in their homes as a result — potentially putting their health at risk. For so many products on the supermarket shelves, green doesn’t mean clean.”

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Safer green cleaning alternatives

So what can you do instead if both regular and green cleaning products can harm your health?

The answer is to go back to the way your grandma cleaned.

Just a few of the old-school cleaning methods my grandmother taught me were:

• Use vinegar – My grandmother cleaned everything from mirrors and glass to kitchen cabinets with a combination of vinegar and water.
• Add baking soda – For sinks, simply sprinkle baking soda on the surface and pour on vinegar. Once the mixture stops fizzing, scrub away until clean.
• Try warm water and muscle – Don’t underestimate how clean you get your house with just warm water, a little muscle power and a dish rag or scrubber. This can get off even baked-on messes like those on your stove or in your microwave and oven.

In the past, I would have suggested adding essential oils to your natural cleaning routine, but today I can’t without adding a word of caution…

You may already know that many so-called green cleaners boast essential oils in their formulas. But highly concentrated and potent essential oils can emit VOCs.

That’s because the monoterpene compound given off by the “green” cleaners is a major component of essential oils — something I was not aware of until recently.

If using essential oils to clean your home, the most important thing to remember is not to mix them with anything but water, dilute well and use sparingly. Also, make sure the area is well-ventilated.

If you want the fresh clean scent of lemons and limes — keep the real fruit in a bowl on your kitchen counter or table. You can also mix ½ cup of squeezed lemon or lime juice to 2 cups vinegar for an effective degreaser.

Sources:

Green doesn’t always mean clean: Cleaning products urgently need better regulation, researchers warn – EurekAlert!

Essential Oils: More Harmful Than Helpful? — American Lung Association.

The post Green cleaning’s not-so-green harmful chemical link appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the term ‘sleep divorce’ gives it a bad taste, says psychologist Susan Albers. She calls it a ‘sleep separation’ or ‘alternative sleep arrangement.’

One in every five couples chooses to sleep in separate beds, even in separate rooms. And they have a healthier and more loving relationship because of it.

Could you and your partner benefit from a sleep divorce? Here’s what you need to know to help you decide.

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What is a sleep divorce and why you might need one

Why would people in a happy relationship choose to sleep separately?

In the end, it comes down to having incompatible sleep habits:

• Maybe you and your partner need different environments to get a good night’s sleep. One of you might need a room that’s pitch black, silent, and cool, while the other might require exactly the opposite.
• One of you might spend the night tossing and turning due to restless leg syndrome or insomnia.
• One of you might use a noisy CPAP machine for sleep apnea.
• One partner might work the night shift.

Regardless of the reason, sleeping separately might be a way to guard your sleep time.

Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important to your health. Over time, poor sleep can harden arteries.

Sleep loss is also linked to breast, bowel, and prostate cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization has classified any type of night-shift work as a probable carcinogen.

And lastly, bad sleep and a bad attitude add up to bad aging.

The benefits of a sleep divorce

As I’ve implied above, sleeping separately could improve your prospects for better health. But there are benefits that could improve your relationship, too.

• You get your personal space. Maybe you can go back to reading in bed, listening to “your” music, or just spreading out a little bit. These can be incredibly beneficial for your mood and mental health, which can only benefit your partnership.
• You have fewer things to fight about. Crumbs in the bed, the volume of music, or lights in your eyes… the next time you and your partner argue, these are not on the roster of things to complain about.
• Your relationship is more intentional. When you’re not sharing a bed, then snuggling and sex become an affirmative choice that you and your partner make. It doesn’t just “happen.”

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The downside of sleeping separately

Sleeping separately isn’t for everyone, says Dr. Albers. Here are some of the possible drawbacks.

• It may decrease intimacy. “Sleeping in separate rooms may create some emotional distance or disconnection,” Dr. Albers acknowledges. “There’s something about being in a bedroom at night — a privacy that leads to talking with your significant other in a way that you don’t when you’re outside of that space.”
• It may hurt your sex life. If you aren’t intentional about intimacy at other times, sleeping separately can diminish desire when you do have sex.
• It may be expensive. Not everyone has a separate room or a separate bed for separate sleeping. Purchasing a second bed can be pricey.
• It may be lonely. Once you’ve made the move to separate rooms, you may find that you miss having someone there every night, even with the things that annoy you.
• It may foster resentment. Both people need to be comfortable with the arrangement. You both need to be good communicators and willing to sort out concerns as they arise. Otherwise, the situation just becomes another source of resentment and arguing.

How to give separate sleeping a try

Here are two strategies you and your partner can try to increase the odds that a separate sleeping arrangement will be successful for you and your partner.

Weekend sleep-ins together. During the week, when work and responsibilities loom large, having separate sleeping spaces can be a blessing. But why not let weekends be a “mini-reunion” where you reconnect, cherish the intimacy of sharing a bed, and get to talk and reinforce your bond.

Prioritize pre-sleep rituals. Just because you’re not sleeping in the same bed doesn’t mean you can’t share your pre-sleep rituals.

Rituals before going to bed signal your brain that it’s time to sleep. They’re an essential step to a good night’s sleep. Shared rituals might be as simple as playing a board game, practicing a meditation routine or just talking over your day.

The idea of a ‘sleep divorce,’ when approached with mutual care and respect, can add to your relationship, rather than diminish it. It’s not about sleeping apart. Rather, it’s about sleeping well so you are each the best version of yourself.

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And if you need a little help sleeping better, separately or not, consider these recommendations from the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley:

Vitamin D is important to maintaining your body’s sleep cycle. It is available from food (fatty fish like salmon and sardines, eggs, and dairy products) or through a supplement. Vitamin D helps the body produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Exposure to sunlight. Morning sunlight helps reset your body’s sleep clock and increases the likelihood of a good night’s sleep. Conversely, exposure to artificial light, especially blue light that emits from smartphones and other devices, in the evening can disrupt your body clock making it harder to fall asleep.

Get moving! Even a brief and easy walk each day will have a positive effect on your sleep. Get your exercise earlier in the day so your body has a chance to calm down for sleep.

Watch those bedtime snacks! Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods 4-6 hours before bed. Try a light bedtime snack like warm milk or a banana.

Sources:

A ‘Sleep Divorce’ Might Be Exactly What Your Relationship Needs — Cleveland Clinic

2 ‘Sleep Divorce’ Strategies That Bring Couples Closer, According To A Psychologist — Forbes

The post The health and relationship benefits of a sleep divorce appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Cooking every night of the week was getting difficult with my busy schedule. This way, I’d catch a break and still eat healthy.

Or so I thought….

Then I read about microplastics in takeout containers and realized my prepackaged meals are swimming in plastic that can leach chemicals into the food. Worse, I heat the meals in the microwave, which further breaks down into microplastics that penetrate the food I’m eating.

While the research into microplastics is relatively new, there’s ample evidence for concern. Studies have linked microplastics to obesity, hormone disruption, reproductive problems and developmental delays in children.

And research in animals shows microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter our bloodstream. In the human brain, researchers warn this could potentially increase the risk of inflammation, neurological disorders or even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

Now we’re finding that insidious plastic has become part of the makeup of the plaque buildup behind heart disease and clogged arteries…

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Making clogged arteries more dangerous

Plaque buildup clogs arteries and can lead to stroke and heart attack. Plaque consists of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin. Now we can add microplastics to the equation…

That is what researchers in Italy saw when 257 patients had an operation to open up their plaque-clogged carotid arteries.

Almost 60 percent of the patients had measurable amounts of polyethylene in plaques extracted from their arteries. And 12 percent also had tiny polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shards in their extracted fat deposits.

Polyethylene is the most common plastic and is used for plastic bags, films and plastic bottles. Both rigid and flexible PVC are used in water pipes, plastic bottles, flooring and packaging.

The researchers then followed the patients with carotid artery plaque in which plastics were detected for 34 months and found they were 4.5 times more likely to have a stroke, non-fatal heart attack or die from any cause than people who had none detected in their removed plaques.

“Observational data from occupational-exposure studies [also] suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among persons who are exposed to plastics-related pollution, including polyvinyl chloride, than that seen in the general population,” the researchers say in the published study.

When examining the plaques under powerful microscopes, the researchers observed plastic fragments with jagged edges inside immune cells called macrophages as well as within the fatty plaques. They also found higher levels of inflammatory markers in patients with microplastics in their plaques.

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It’s important to note that this is an observational study and can’t definitively conclude that microplastics are causing the subsequent heart effects; it can only show an association. Also, the study didn’t weigh other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, physical inactivity and air pollution — which has previously been linked with increased stroke risk.

Still, previous lab-based studies suggest microplastics can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in heart cells, alter heart rate and cause heart scarring in animals such as mice.

Lowering your microplastic threat

Reducing our exposure to plastics isn’t easy. Microplastics are everywhere — in our water, soil, fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products. Even organic produce and meat have some level of microplastics in them.

Even though you can’t completely avoid microplastics, there are ways to reduce your exposure:

• A reverse osmosis filter that can filter them out of your water.
• It’s possible to remove up to 90 percent of microplastics from faucet water by following these simple instructions. No special tools needed.
• Avoid plastic food storage containers and plastic dishware and cups. Use glass, stoneware or porcelain instead.
• Try not to buy food packaged in plastic or use plastic wrap to store food.
• Two or more servings daily of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables may bind to chemicals from plastics and remove them from the body in a process called chelation. These foods include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula and dark leafy greens like kale.
• An added bonus of including these vegetables to your diet is that they also can reduce the amount of sticky plaque buildup in your arteries. One study found that women who ate a lot of cruciferous vegetables had thinner artery walls than women who didn’t.

Sources:

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

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events — The New England Journal of Medicine

The post Microplastic discovered in artery-clogging plaques appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They’re in the fish, fruits, and vegetables you eat…

They’re in the containers your takeout food comes in…

They’re even in the water that pours from your faucet — water you use for cooking, drinking and bathing, giving it multiple ways to enter your body and wreak havoc.

And using bottled water isn’t the answer, either.

But a recent study has found a simple way to remove poisonous microplastics from your water, something you can do easily at home for no extra cost.

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The problem with microplastics

Microplastics attract chemicals that cause reproductive disorders, thyroid disease, asthma, and cancers, just to name a few.

These chemicals are known as endocrine or hormone disruptors.

Every time you eat or drink something with microplastics, inhale or absorb them through your skin, you get a heavy dose of hormone disruptors like PCB and phthalates.

Microplastics act a kind of “magnet” for other environmental pollutants as well, 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.

And if it couldn’t get worse, microplastics have been found in artery-clogging plaque buildup.

But, until now, I haven’t come across very many effective and inexpensive ways to share what we can do about them…

Boil and strain to remove up to 90% of microplastics

A team from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China added microplastics (about the size of a grain of rice) and nanoplastics (even smaller) to water samples.

They then boiled the water and filtered out any resulting solids. In this process, up to 90% of plastic particles were removed from “hard water,” which naturally forms a build-up of limescale (calcium carbonate) when heated.

This limescale (calcium carbonate) is what you see on the bottom of your teakettle if you live in a hard water area of the country (about 85% of the U.S.).

As the hot temperature forces the calcium carbonate out of the water, it clings to the surface of microplastic particles, trapping them in a solid crust. Then the lime-encrusted plastic is removed just by pouring the water through a simple filter — like the stainless-steel mesh used to strain tea.

Even if you live in an area with soft water (low in minerals), boiling your water can remove a quarter of the microplastics. That’s 25% less for you to be drinking or cooking with.

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“This simple boiling water strategy can ‘decontaminate’ NMPs from household tap water and has the potential for harmlessly alleviating human intake of NMPs through water consumption,” says the researchers.

In addition, try cutting out the use of plastic bags and plastic food containers, plastic wrap and eating utensils.

And remember to eat to protect your gut. Your intestine is your first line of defense from toxins. And when you’ve got a leaky gut, tiny toxin carriers like microplastics can walk right in.

Eating organic produce, getting enough fiber, and taking probiotic supplements are vital to keeping your gut strong enough to defend you from toxic invaders.

Sources:

There’s a Surprisingly Simple Way to Remove Microplastics From Your Drinking Water — Science Alert

Drinking Boiled Tap Water Reduces Human Intake of Nanoplastics and Microplastics — Environmental Science & Technology Letters

Microplastics Infiltrate Every Organ, Including Brain, Study in Mice Shows — Science Alert

A look at hard water across the US — Homewater 101

The post Remove microplastics from water in your own kitchen appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Drinking enough water daily helps keep your brain, heart and mood healthy, boosts weight loss and even slows aging and prolongs your life.

It’s a healthy habit most of us get — one that’s clearly demonstrated by the popularity of big tumblers that help keep our water cold while keeping track of how much we drink.

But if you’re seeing headlines like this one — “Customers sue Stanley, say the company failed to disclose presence of lead in tumblers” — you may be wondering if your healthy habit is actually harming you.

Lead exposure is a big and serious deal. Here’s why you shouldn’t take any claim about potential exposure lightly…

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Show me the lead

The proposed class action lawsuits against Stanley for undisclosed lead in their tumblers were filed in U.S. District Court in Washington state.

And it all started with suits initiated by two women who like most of us purchased tumblers from big box retail stores.

However, unlike the rest of us, they didn’t take the safety of those tumblers for granted, but instead performed their own testing for dangerous heavy metals at home.

Sure enough — those tests came back positive for lead.

Stanley has fired back, stating that the claims are ‘meritless’ because the lead is found only in the materials they use to secure the vacuum insulation at the base of the cups.

They say that this means that, “there is no lead present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product.”

However, the lawsuit charges that Stanley failed to take into account the fact that the vacuum seal could break and expose the user to lead. It’s a danger that becomes more likely during strenuous activities when the cup can easily be dropped and/or damaged.

But whether you have one of these cups or not — I hate to tell you, it’s probably the least of your worries as far as lead exposure…

Why the big worry about lead?

Lead exposure has been linked to everything from obesity to neurological issues and heart disease.

In fact, lead is responsible for approximately 30 percent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. This is a number six times higher than previous estimates — and a bigger cause of heart disease than smoking or high cholesterol.

These reasons are why you will see us write about it any time we learn about a potential new threat that allows lead to further leach into our lives.

But though it’s easy to see why the possibility of lead lurking in steel tumblers could be concerning, here’s why that cup is probably the least of your worries…

Multiple studies have shown that those of us in the U.S. already experience a heightened level of lead exposure from sources we come into contact with daily, including:

• Common spices like cumin and coriander
• Decorative plates and glassware (especially the ones we put out during the holidays)
• Dark chocolate
• Drinking water (due to a combination of lead in pipes plus a compound in a chemical used for water treatment)
• Juices and some plant-based milks have been found to contain both lead and arsenic
• Rice grown in the U.S. has been found to contain toxic metals, including lead.

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Getting the lead out

There is a solution to the lead threat. EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid), a lead chelating agent, was introduced decades ago to treat lead poisoning in employees in battery factories and WWII sailors who painted ships with lead-based paint.

Chelation is simply the process of chemically binding heavy metals so they can be pulled from the bloodstream and excreted through the urine. 

But unfortunately, most doctors don’t know enough about chelation therapy to talk about it, unless they are affiliated with the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM).

In cases of acute lead poisoning, EDTA chelation can be administered through IV. But since it’s a simple amino acid, it’s popularly taken in supplement form and supported by detox enthusiasts and integrative healthcare.

If you’re interested in learning more, we’re providing a link below to an e-book considered the quintessential guide to chelation.

In the meantime, do what you can to cut down on sources of lead exposure in your daily life.

Sources:

Customers sue Stanley, say the company failed to disclose presence of lead in tumblers – USA Today

The post How concerning is news about lead in Stanley cups? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You would think that meant the chemical was completely eradicated from the consumer supply chain, right?

Wrong! Thanks to the failure of the Environmental Protection Agency, formaldehyde can still be found in many of the products used not only to build and insulate the homes we live in, but in the things we fill our homes with — like furniture, synthetic fabric, foam insulation, wallpaper and paint, even some personal care products.

Researchers have been working overtime to try to clarify formaldehyde’s link with cancer, precisely how it hijacks our genes and reprograms genetic patterns…

Formaldehyde’s influence on your epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of the biological mechanisms that control the activity of our genes — and how our behaviors and environment can affect the way our genes work.

And per the CDC, unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.

An international team of researchers has discovered that formaldehyde is a powerful modifier of normal epigenetic patterns. This means that formaldehyde, though previously considered to act only as a DNA mutagen, actually interferes with the epigenetic programming of cells.

Dr. Manel Esteller, group leader and director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, explains how this happens…

“We have discovered that formaldehyde is an inhibitor of the MAT1A protein, which is the main producer of S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM), and this last molecule is the universal donor of the chemical group ‘methyl’ that regulates epigenetic activity. Specifically, we found that exposure to formaldehyde induced a reduction in SAM content and caused the loss of methylation of histones, proteins that package our DNA and control the function of thousands of genes.”

To put it more simply, Dr. Lucas Pontel, group leader at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, says the researchers have found “formaldehyde has the capacity to modify the epigenetic landscape of our cells, which might contribute to the well-documented carcinogenic properties of formaldehyde.”

Formaldehyde already has been linked with an increased risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia, as well as asthma and hepatic degeneration due to fatty liver.

Counteracting formaldehyde’s effects

To fully understand the implications of these findings, I need to share something Dr. Mark Wiley wrote…

“Epigenetics shows us that our genetic code merely presents us with our health potential; not an absolute dictate of events now or to come. So even if Alzheimer’s or autism or cancer runs in your family, such devastating diseases need not affect you specifically.”

Formaldehyde’s ability to moderate our epigenetic patterns changes all that and more. So what can you do to reduce your exposure?

Dr. Esteller explains that “formaldehyde enters our body mainly during our breathing and, because it dissolves well in an aqueous medium, it ends up reaching all the cells of our body,” so start there…

• Don’t smoke, since formaldehyde is part of cigarette smoke.
• Work at improving the air inside your home by keeping temperature and humidity levels as low as you comfortably can (to avoid the off-gassing of chemicals in building materials and furnishings).
• Avoid furniture, wood flooring and cabinets made with glues containing urea-formaldehyde (UF). Better choices include pressed wood products that meet ultra-low emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) or no-added formaldehyde (NAF) requirements.
• Look for products labeled no VOC or low VOC. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, which are a large group of chemicals that are found in many products we use to build and maintain our homes.
• Use an air purifier in your home with a HEPA filter and keep air-purifying plants in every room.
• Swap out your insulation if you have an older home.
• Follow a site like airnow.gov where you can check the air quality in your area and reduce your activity level or shorten the amount of time you’re active outdoors.
• This one may come as a surprise: Ditch the diet sodas and any packaged foods labeled “sugar-free,” since it’s a pretty good bet they’re sweetened with aspartame. The researchers note that formaldehyde can also be generated in the body through the metabolism of common dietary substances like the artificial sweetener aspartame.

Sources:

A known environmental hazard can change the epigenetics of cells — ScienceDaily

Formaldehyde regulates S-adenosylmethionine biosynthesis and one-carbon metabolism — Science

What is epigenetics? — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post How formaldehyde reprograms our cells for cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

After all, fewer germs mean less chance of catching that common cold or the flu that’s been going around.

But what if the cleaning products you’ve been using to keep your home at its sparkling best are actually hiding dangerous substances that could destroy your health instead of helping it?

That’s the warning in a study by the Environmental Working Group that found the products you’re cleaning your home with could lead not only to cancer and respiratory damage — but even developmental and reproductive problems because they’re endocrine disruptors…

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VOC hazards and your household air

The problem is that some — actually far too many — everyday cleaning products can release hundreds of volatile organic compounds into your household air.

Known as VOCs, these compounds are known hazards. They can contaminate indoor air two to five times more than outdoor air, with some estimates putting it as high as 10 times more. And they can linger and emit VOCs for days, weeks or even months.

In fact, one such VOC — formaldehyde, classified as a carcinogen – is not only found in common household cleaners. It’s in furniture and cabinetry in your home and is constantly off-gassing (though it’s worse in the summer) into your home’s air.

These VOCs are why people working in the cleaning industry have a 50 percent higher risk of developing asthma and a 43 percent higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

They’re also believed to be the reason that women in the field are at an increased risk of lung cancer and children — in utero and infancy—are at increased risk of asthma and wheezing in childhood.

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Conventional cleaners versus green and fragrance-free

Green cleaning products have become popular for the very reasons you’ve just read. But are they any better at keeping you safe?

The Environmental Working Group researchers analyzed 30 different cleaning products, including multipurpose and glass cleaners, air fresheners and more. And they pitted regular household cleaners against not just green cleaning products — but also against fragrance-free green cleaning products.

Altogether, they detected a total of 530 unique VOCs in the 30 products. Of these, 193 VOCs were hazardous, with the potential to cause harm to humans in the form of respiratory system damage, increased cancer risk and developmental and reproductive impacts.

However, they were able to show that green products emitted substantially lower VOCs than conventional — about half.

Even better, green fragrance-free products came with nearly eight times fewer VOCs than conventional and four times fewer than green products that included fragrance on their label!

When it came to those VOCs we already know are hazardous, green products without fragrance continued their winning streak…

The team found only four hazardous VOCs in green fragrance-free cleaners, versus 15 in green-only products and 22 in conventional.

The moral?

Going green is an easy way to do something healthy for your body. And going green and fragrance-free is even better.

For extra help cutting down on these chemicals in your home, consider the right houseplant for the job.

Sources:

Cleaning products emit hundreds of hazardous chemicals, new study finds — EurekAlert!

The post The products releasing hundreds of chemicals into your home appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One, what do you think is the dirtiest place in your house?

And two, how often do you launder your sheets and pillowcases?

If you’re like most of us, your answer to the first question was “the bathroom, of course!”

After all, it’s where we go to clean off the day’s dirt and “relieve” ourselves. Not to mention that flushing the toilet is the most effective way to disperse bathroom germs far and wide!

It’s a good guess, but you’d be wrong…

Turns out that those comfy sheets and pillowcases you’re sleeping on every night are home to more harmful bacteria than you’ll find in any bathroom.

Here’s what you need to know, and how to keep your bed from making you sick.

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The four types of bacteria living in your bed

According to a recent report, there are four main strains of bacteria that thrive on your unwashed pillowcases and sheets:

• Gram-negative rods are the most common. They cause pneumonia and other infections. And, the CDC tells us that most gram-negative rods can lead to antibiotic resistance.
• Bacilli cause a range of infections from food poisoning to meningitis and endocarditis.
• Gram-positive cocci, the most well-known being staphylococcus and streptococcus. These bacteria are also behind a range of infections that includes strep throat, sepsis, urinary tract and blood infections.
• Gram-positive rods, which are not typically harmful to humans.

A dirty pillowcase has more bacteria than a toilet seat

A recent study looked at just how infectious your sheets and pillowcases get during a period of just four weeks.

To see just how many tiny critters collect on sheets and pillowcases, volunteers swabbed their sheets for four weeks without washing them.

After one week, both pillowcases and sheets contained between three and five million CFUs (colony-forming units) of bacteria per square inch.

By week four, they both had almost twelve million CFUs.

Pillowcases that were washed just one week ago had over 17 thousand times the number of bacteria found on a typical toilet seat!

In particular, pillowcases harbored more bacilli and gram-positive cocci.

In other words, after just one week, your pillowcase could be a breeding ground for some nasty infections.

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How often should you wash your bedding?

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your sheets at least once a week.

But pillowcases should be swapped out at least 2-3 times per week!

“When you get into bed, you contaminate your bed linens with dead skin cells (about 50 million per day), sweat, makeup, lotions, hair, and anything else you’ve picked up during the day, from pollen and pet dander to fungal mold and dirt particles to bacteria and viral particles as well,” says Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist in New York.

Dead skin cells and sweat provide food for dust mites, adds Dr. King, attracting them to your bed and helping them multiply.

A few more tips to avoid a germ-filled slumber

The following tips can help you keep your sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and even your mattress relatively germ-free.

Use heat. Wash your bedding in hot water. But if washing instructions on your sheets say to wash in cold water, the Mayo Clinic recommends putting them in the dryer for at least 15 minutes first, at a temperature above 130 degrees. Then wash and dry.

Wipe down your bed rails or headboard. The CDC recommends doing this to lower your exposure to pathogens.

Make your bed. Dr. Alok Vij, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, says that making your bed “will reduce the moisture that dust mites and bacteria need to proliferate.”

Sources:

Unwashed pillowcases contain more bacteria than toilet seats: report — New York Post

Bacteria in your Bed — Amerisleep

Why a Derm Says You Should Be Changing Your Pillowcases Every Couple of Days — Well + Good

How Often Should You Change Your Sheets—Really? — Well + Good

The post Toilet seat or pillowcase: Which holds more infectious germs? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even better, this same unusual method for sleeping better will help you fend off colds and feel less anxious too.

So what does research from the world’s most revered scientists suggest you do to tackle colds, insomnia and anxiety all at once?

Add a bit more greenery to your bedroom, that’s what…

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Fewer colds, less anxiety and better sleep

Back in 1989, the scientists at NASA conducted The Clean Air Study to figure out what houseplants were best at getting rid of nasty toxins in indoor air.

Based on the results of this study, journalists from Elle Décor and the Joy of Plants recently developed a list of the top 10 plants that, when added to your bedside table, could make a big difference in your sleep and health.

Before I give you the list of plants and send you on your way to your local plant nursery, let me explain why houseplants have the power to improve your sleep and health…

As you probably already know, plants purify the air. And even in your most sacred and private sanctuary — your bedroom — there’s a lot to purify.

Chemicals like trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene and ammonia seep from paint, plastics, leather, plywood, paper products and other everyday items into our indoor air.

Depending on the amount of the chemical and length of time you’re exposed to it, these chemicals can make you dizzy, confused, give you a sore throat, give you a headache, cause liver and kidney damage, cause heart problems or even put you into a coma.

So they’re not great for you. And since most of us spend 90 percent of our time indoors, finding ways to get them out of our air should be a top priority.

Of course, besides purifying the air, there’s another, more simplistic reason houseplants are good for you: People find plants calming. Greenery, whether indoors or outdoors, is known for easing anxiety and improving mood, which is why they may be able to help you sleep.

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So which houseplants would be the most beneficial addition to your bedroom? Well, according to the research from NASA and the analysis from journalists at Elle Décor and the Joy of Plants, these are the houseplants you should put on your shopping list if you want a better night’s sleep and better health:

1. Areca Palm: This plant releases moisture in the air, making it easier to breathe and fall asleep. Because it helps you breathe easy, it’s also one of the best houseplants for people who get a lot of colds or have chronic sinus issues.
2. Aloe Vera: This plant does more than just heal sunburns. It’s an air-purification powerhouse, because it releases oxygen all night long. It’s also great at sucking the chemicals benzene and formaldehyde out of your air.
3. English Ivy: Research suggests that if you buy an English Ivy plant today, you could get rid of 78 percent of airborne mold in as little as 12 hours.
4. Dwarf Date Palm: A good, hardy choice if you don’t necessarily have a green thumb, this plant is highly efficient at getting rid of airborne chemicals like xylene.
5. Boston fern: This beautiful fern is among the top 10 air-purifying houseplants identified by NASA in their study. It’s especially great at getting rid of formaldehyde.
6. Chinese evergreen: This one’s easy to take care of, because it doesn’t need much light. It’s also know for becoming even better at removing toxins from the air the longer you have it.
7. Peace Lily: This gorgeous lily removes mold spores from the air and can improve your indoor air quality by 60 percent.
8. Spider Plant: If you head to the store and buy a spider plant now, two days from now, you’ll have 90 percent less toxins in your bedroom air. Scientists say if you have dust allergies, this one’s really helpful.
9. Lady Palm: This plant’s best known for purifying your air of nasty toxins like formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene and toluene.
10. Weeping fig: Your carpeting and furniture are some the largest sources of formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene in your home. But the weeping fig can save you from these dangerous chemicals by sucking them out of the air.

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About houseplants and pets…

Now, if you have pets, be warned… some of these plants are toxic to dogs and cats. As a pet owner, that’s always something you should check for before bringing new plants into your home.

You can look up any plant that you’re planning to purchase in the ASPCA’s searchable Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List to make sure it’s safe for your pets.

Once you know which houseplants are safe for your pets, decide what plants fit best with your bedroom décor and most closely match your health goals. Then you can head to the store and buy a bit of greenery!

The post 10 houseplants NASA says will make you feel better appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But a team of researchers from Washington State University (WSU) found that there’s one more big health danger right in our own homes that we should be aware of as the heat rises…

Higher emissions indoors than out

Do you know how we just mentioned that summertime haze?

Well, researchers know that air pollution, whether inside or outside, has a significant impact on each and every person’s health, including their heart, lungs, brain and neurological health.

But while our government has increased the regulation of outdoor air pollution over the past four decades, there is little if any regulation on what happens to us in our own homes. In fact, current building laws generally just require that homes are structurally sound and that people are comfortable, with minimal impacts from odors and humidity.

But the threats posed by indoor air pollution are almost completely ignored.

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“People think of air pollution as an outdoor problem, but they fail to recognize that they’re exposing themselves to much higher emission rates inside their homes,” said lead researcher and professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tom Jobson.

According to the team, indoor emissions can come from a variety of sources, including:

• Building materials
• Furniture
• Household chemical products
• Activities of daily living, like cooking

While one of the best ways to clear out these harmful chemicals is with ventilation to the outdoors, with the increasing concern about climate change and interest in reducing energy use, builders are trying to make homes more airtight — something that may be worsening the problem.

And the summer heat ahead of us could compound the issue even further…

A breath of formaldehyde

In their study, the research team monitored the indoor pollution levels in a variety of homes, reflecting the typical housing styles and ages of homes in the U.S.

And sure enough, as temperatures in the homes rose, so did the levels of formaldehyde.

“As a home gets hotter, there is a lot more formaldehyde in the home. The materials are hotter and they off-gas at higher rates,” Jobson said.

Yes, the higher the temperatures get this summer, the more of that chemical best known as an embalming fluid — and a known human carcinogen — is floating around in the air of your house for you to breathe in.

The researchers even found one of the homes they were monitoring (a home built in the early 1970s) filled with both formaldehyde and mercury that was being off-gassed from the drywall.

When the team pulled off a piece of the drywall to test in their labs, they found that when heated, it emitted formaldehyde levels as high as 159 parts per billion — an absolutely frightening result since the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the Centers for Disease Control, has set eight parts per billion as a level that poses “a minimum risk level”.

So, if eight parts per billion is a minimum risk, what can almost 20 times that amount do to you?

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How to further reduce formaldehyde exposure in your home

The researchers point out that all of these chemicals we’re breathing in are impacting our ability to think and learn and that it’s important to balance having an energy-efficient home with protecting your health and cognitive function.

Their advice? Open a window.

Sounds simple enough, but it could be the difference between breathing in dangerous chemicals all day long and letting in the clean, fresh air.

Here are other ways to reduce the danger:

• Don’t smoke. Homes with smokers are full of formaldehyde, which is part of cigarette smoke.
• Use exhaust fans.
• Keep temperature and humidity levels as low as you comfortably can.
• Change out your insulation if you have an older home.
• Avoid furniture, wood flooring and cabinets made with urea-formaldehyde (UF) glues. Better choices include pressed wood products that meet ultra-low emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) or no added formaldehyde (NAF) requirements.
• Look for products labeled no VOC or low VOC. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds which are a large group of chemicals that are found in many products we use to build and maintain our homes.

According to Dr. Alan Christianson, an naturopathic endocrinologist, VOCs are toxins that are metabolized by the liver and kidneys before being passed out of the body, not the kinds of toxins that embed in the tissues of the body (like heavy metals) for long periods of time.

That means supporting your liver, your body’s main detox organ, can be helpful. It’s easy for the liver to become overwhelmed considering the onslaught of chemicals entering our bodies regularly, and if that happens it can’t do its job half as well.

Sources:

1. Researchers uncover indoor pollution hazards — Washington State University

The post Formaldehyde: This secret summer threat is heating up appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Then again, maybe not. Air conditioning is a mixed blessing.

In climates that are consistently hot, it can be a lifesaver.

But it does have its tradeoffs. You should be aware that living in a consistently air-conditioned environment can do both good and not-so-good things to your body.

The good

1 Air conditioning boosts metabolism. Spending time in cold air or cold weather can cause your body to develop healthy, energy-burning brown fat. This can happen if you spend enough time in an air-conditioned environment.

2 Air conditioning helps you think. Have you ever felt like your brain was “fried” after spending too much time in extreme heat? I know I have.

There may be something to it. A 2018 Harvard study showed that students who lived in dorms without air conditioning during hot summer months did worse on cognitive tests than those who had cool central air.

For seniors, not the college kind, but the kind over 65, heat may actually contribute to neurodegeneration, so they need to keep cool too.

3 Air conditioning helps you sleep. As part of your natural sleep cycle, your body needs to cool down, and a cool room can help this happen. We all know how awful a hot, sweaty, restless night can feel.

Experts say that a temperature of between 60 and 67 degrees is ideal for rest. Air conditioning is sometimes the tool you need to get there.

4 Air conditioning saves lives during heat waves. Once your body temperature exceeds 102 degrees, you’re at risk of heat exhaustion. If your temperature rises even further, you could end up with heatstroke.

Air conditioning may come with some negative effects, but there’s no doubt that it saves lives during periods of extremely high temperatures.

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The bad

5 Air conditioning affects indoor air quality. Working in an air-conditioned building with poor ventilation can raise your risk of ‘sick building syndrome.’

You may notice recurring symptoms that seem to appear whenever you’re in a particular building. This happened to me years ago, every time I’d return to the school I taught in after a week of school vacation.

Symptoms may include headaches, dry cough, dizziness and nausea, runny nose, and brain fog.

For tips on improving indoor air quality (even during the winter months) check out these four tips. And be aware of other sneaky things, like your stove, that can impact your air quality.

6 Air conditioning dehydrates you. Air conditioning works by sucking moisture out of a room to bring down the humidity and cool things off. The trouble is, it can also pull water from your skin, dry it out, and dehydrate you.

7 Air conditioning dries out your eyes. The lack of humidity caused by air conditioning can dry your eyes, make them irritated or itchy, or even cause blurry vision.

8 Air conditioning irritates airways. Studies show that people who work in air-conditioned buildings have more respiratory problems than those who work where there is natural ventilation. These problems include irritated nasal passages and trouble breathing.

9 Air conditioning can make your head ache. Dirty or poorly maintained HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning) systems are more likely to have headaches or even migraines.

In one study, eight percent of people who worked in environments with unhealthy indoor air had a headache anywhere between one and three days per month, and another eight percent had headaches every single day.

10 Air conditioning lowers your heat tolerance. Since your body’s ideal temperature depends largely on whatever temperature you’ve recently been exposed to, the more time you spend in air-conditioned rooms, the more uncomfortable heat and humidity will feel. Scientists call this the “adaptive comfort model.”

11 Air conditioning pollutes the outside air. In the 1990s, the U.S. Clean Air Act began phasing out older A/C units that released chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a refrigerant that harms the ozone layer.

This is one “downside” to air conditioning you can do something about. If you still own one of these older units, replace it with a newer model.

12 Air conditioning can worsen allergy symptoms. Again, here’s one you have some control over.

A clean air conditioner can actually help tame allergies, but an HVAC system can quickly and easily become a home for microbial allergens. Be sure to have your air conditioner or system inspected and cleaned regularly.

Sources:

What Air Conditioning Does to Your Body — Web MD

Sick Building Syndrome — Healthline

The post 12 surprising ways air conditioning affects us appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In certain Asian cultures, washing rice before cooking is a given. The chef checks through the rice to remove any husks or stones, then rinses the rice repeatedly until the cloudy water runs clear. Some people actually scrub the wet grains of rice between their hands before rinsing it.

Culinary experts are split as to whether washing rice is necessary. From a cooking standpoint, if you want your dish to have separate grains of rice, they advise washing away the excess starch clinging to the surface of the grains. But if you’re making a dish like risotto, paella or rice pudding, they say you should probably skip the wash so your dish remains starchy, sticky and creamy.

What these experts fail to consider is another very good reason in favor of washing rice….

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Washing rice rids it of harmful heavy metals

Rice is known to contain relatively high levels of the toxic heavy metal arsenic because the crop absorbs it as it grows. Arsenic levels in rice vary depending on where it’s grown, the type of rice and how it’s cooked. One study found the highest level of arsenic was in the United States.

When heavy metals build up in the body they’re capable of contributing to autoimmune diseases and the underlying inflammation that accelerates the process of chronic illness, including heart disease.

The good news here is that washing rice has been shown to remove about 90 percent of bioaccessible arsenic — the type that the body is able to absorb.

In addition to arsenic, washing rice has been found to decrease levels of other dangerous heavy metals like lead and cadmium by between 7 and 20 percent.

Then, there are microplastics…

Unfortunately, rice is just as likely as other foods to be contaminated with microplastics thanks to the heavy use of plastics in the food supply chain. And a study found that rice contains the same level of microplastics regardless of whether it’s packaged in paper or plastic bags.

Luckily, the researchers found that by washing your rice, you’ll be rinsing up to 20 percent of the microplastics away. That at least puts a dent in the 10,000 plastic particles each of us is estimated to consume yearly!

If you use pre-cooked instant rice, you’ll be interested to know that study found four times the microplastics than in regular uncooked rice. By rinsing your instant rice, you could reduce microplastics by 40 percent.

While washing won’t have any effect on the bacterial content of rice, the high cooking temperature will kill any bacteria that might be present. Just make sure you don’t store washed or cooked rice at room temperature for long or it can activate the bacterial spores from the Bacillus cereus pathogen.

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You can still have creamy rice — and your good health

If you’re concerned about heavy metals, you can read more about how they can weigh your health down — and how you can lessen their load in your body.

If you’re concerned about whether washing rice will make it a lot less starchy and ruin your dish, don’t be. That’s been debunked.

A different starch inside the rice grain, amylopectin, is what produces the sticky, creamy effect, and different types of rice contain different amounts.

For instance, the type of rice used to make risotto, arborio, contains a lot more amylopectin starch than basmati rice, which is why arborio rice turns out so much creamier.

Sources:

Yes, You Should Wash Rice, But Not For The Reason You Think — ScienceAlert

Do you need to wash rice before cooking it? It all depends on what you’re cooking — ABC Everyday

A Guide to the Different Types of Rice — Chef’s Corner Store

The post 3 reasons to wash your rice: Lead, cadmium and arsenic appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But I’ll admit there are definite advantages to living in a more rural setting. And one of them is being surrounded by green, growing things.

In one study, Harvard researchers found women living in areas with more greenery were 12 percent less likely to die than women living in areas with the least vegetation. They also had lower levels of depression and reduced rates of cancer and respiratory disease, likely because all that greenery helps reduce pollution.

I’d certainly prefer to have less exposure to pollution, especially the type that can cause cancer. But I’m not willing or able to pack up and move to the country.

So what’s a city girl to do?

Just bring the greenery inside…

Plants can detox the air

According to the World Health Organization, poor air quality is responsible for 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide. And we’re not just talking about outdoor air…

The air within our homes and other buildings can be even more polluted than outdoor air even in the largest, most industrialized cities. And since most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors at home, school or the workplace, it’s especially important to keep your indoor air as clean as possible.

That’s where having plants can help. Previous studies on indoor plants have shown they can absorb a wide range of indoor air contaminants, including benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide.

To get a more detailed picture, Australian researchers conducted a study into the ability of plants to clean up exhaust fumes. These fumes from gas combustion engines are one of the largest sources of toxic compounds in buildings.

Because offices and residential apartment buildings are often connected directly to parking areas, it’s difficult to avoid the intrusion of harmful gas-related compounds into work and residential areas. Breathing these fumes can lead to lung irritation, headaches and nausea. They’ve also been linked to an increased risk of cancer, asthma and other chronic diseases from long-term exposure.

The researchers studied the effect of a small green wall containing a mixture of indoor plants on the air in a sealed chamber. When taking measurements, they found the small green wall had removed 97 percent of the most toxic compounds from the surrounding air in just eight hours.

The researchers say the study results far exceeded their expectations…

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“This is the first time plants have been tested for their ability to remove petrol-related compounds, and the results are astounding,” says Fraser Torpy, an associate professor and bioremediation researcher at University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

Not only did the plants remove the majority of gas-related pollutants from the air in a matter of hours, they absorbed the most harmful compounds from the air efficiently. “For example, known carcinogen benzene is digested at a faster rate than less harmful substances, like alcohols,” Torpy says.

“We also found that the more concentrated the toxins in the air, the faster and more effective the plants became at removing the toxins, showing that plants adapt to the conditions they’re growing in,” he adds.

Bringing plants into your home

If you’re considering adding houseplants to your home or workplace but feel overwhelmed about keeping them alive, start small. Go to a garden center and select one plant, and make sure you get instructions on how best to care for it. Once you’ve mastered that plant, then you’ll feel more comfortable bringing home others.

If you’re specifically looking for easy-to-care-for plants that remove toxins from the air, give the bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) or Janet Craig (Dracaena fragrans “Janet Craig”) a try. Both of these plants do well in low-light conditions, so you don’t have to worry if your home doesn’t get a lot of sun.

Other plants that are good at removing air toxins include:

• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)*
• Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
• Marginata (Dracaena marginata)
• Mass cane/corn plant (Dracaena fragrans “Massangeana”)
• Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii)
• Pot mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)*
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”)*

*If you have pets, be sure to avoid plants that may be harmful to them, like those in the list above with asterisks. Here’s a more complete list to check.

Sources:

Plants remove cancer-causing toxins from air — University of Technology Sydney

The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality — United States Environmental Protection Agency

Cleaning Indoor Air With Plants — HGTV

Your Complete Guide to Caring for a Bamboo Palm in Your Home — Plantz

Janet Craig Dracaena: Low Light Workhorse Houseplant — Plant Care Today

The post Remove cancer-causing toxins from your home with plants appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Major metro areas, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are experiencing very unhealthy air quality advisories — while some of the smoke has drifted as far south as Georgia, but only affecting the Metro Atlanta Air Quality to a “moderate” degree.

Depending on where you live, you may be wondering how the poor air quality may affect you.

First of all, it’s important to understand the risks from air pollution, especially exposure to what’s known as fine particulate air matter, which includes pollution carried on the wind and can include dust and soil, both capable of containing various types of toxins.

However, it’s even more concerning when it relates to smoke from wildfires. The reason?

It’s been found to be among the most toxic to people compared to fine particle air matter exposure from other sources.

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Fine particulate air matter affects the cardiovascular system

There are different types of air pollution and they are categorized often by size. They are made up of particulates — atmospheric aerosol particles or particulate matter.

Sources of these particulates can be natural or man-made chemicals (in cases of fires, you often get a little of both). PM2.5 is so fine you never even know you’re inhaling it.

In previous research on non-smoking healthy individuals, researchers exposed them to concentrated ambient particulate matter for two hours. The result was a decrease in heart rate variability, along with increased lymphocyte and white blood cell levels.

Increases in white blood cell and lymphocyte levels are signs of increased inflammation in the body, which means the immune system is rapidly activated to fight the incoming stimulus. Decreased heart rate variability is a sign of autonomic nervous system dysfunction — the part of the nervous system that controls the cardiovascular system.

Quite surprisingly, these inhaled particles have acute effects on the cardiovascular system that could lead to a pollution-triggered heart attack.

According to a Journal of the American Heart Association Report, researchers examined cardiac arrests during 14 wildfire-affected counties in California between 2015 and 2017. They found that out-of-hospital cardiac arrests:

• increased on days rated as heavy smoke density and for several days afterward, with the highest risk (70% higher than on days with no smoke) on the second day after smoke exposure;
• increased among both men and women and in people aged 35 and older exposed to heavy smoke; and
• increased in communities with lower socioeconomic status (20% or more people living below the poverty line) with both medium and heavy smoke exposure.

According to Ana G. Rappold, Ph.D., a research scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment in the Office of Research and Development, “Particulate matter from smoke that is inhaled can penetrate deeply into the lungs, and very small particles may cross into the bloodstream. These particles can create an inflammatory reaction in the lungs and throughout the body. The body’s defense system may react to activate the fight-or-flight system, increasing heart rate, constricting blood vessels and increasing blood pressure. These changes can lead to disturbances in the heart’s normal rhythm, blockages in blood vessels and other effects creating conditions that could lead to cardiac arrest.”

Protection from particulate air matter

In areas hardest hit by the air pollution from the Canadian wildfires, public health officials are warning older people and those with heart or breathing problems to stay inside — or at the least wear a mask if they must venture out. N95 masks are the most effective.

Even if you live in areas, not as heavily affected and have heart or issues like asthma or COPD, it would be wise to stay inside till of this literally blows over.

But you should know, wildfires or none, living near low levels of air pollution for a handful of years makes serious structural changes to your heart… even if you’re relatively young and healthy.

If you have access to an air purifier or can have someone deliver one to you, strongly consider it as an option. It’s also a good idea to install an indoor HEPA air filter in your HVAC return to minimize the particulates in the air of your home — or add houseplants that can improve your indoor air.

Now would also be a good time to consider supplementing B vitamins…

Research by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, individuals who were exposed to the same amount of pollution but were given B vitamin supplements for four weeks afterward, were able to almost completely reverse the pollution damage caused to their immune and cardiovascular systems.

In fact, B vitamin supplementation appeared to show incredible opposition…

• A 150 percent reduction in the particulate matter’s effects on heart rate
• A 139 percent reduced effect on white blood cell count
• And a 106 percent reduced effect on lymphocyte count

The post What are your health risks from the Canadian wildfires? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Evidence is mounting that sleeping in anything but a pitch-black bedroom is harming your health in some serious ways.

There’s already been plenty of research showing that even a little bit of light, whether from your window or a candle, can cause depression, as well as elevate your risk of thyroid cancer.

The latest: If you’re not turning off the lights, you’re keeping on processes that normally shut down after dark.

And when they’re running overtime, they impair glucose and cardiovascular regulation — risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

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Light at night is a metabolic nightmare

A 2018 study had already proven that even one night of light exposure when you’re sleeping can set you up for insulin resistance and eventual type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Phyllis Zee, chief of sleep medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, also cites an earlier study where a large population of healthy adults was exposed to light during sleep and were more likely to be overweight or obese.

The newest study, conducted by researchers from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, sheds light on why that happens…

“Now we are showing a mechanism that might be fundamental to explain why this happens,” Dr. Zee says. “We show it’s affecting your ability to regulate glucose.”

Essentially, when you sleep in a lighted room, you wake up more insulin-resistant than when you went to sleep. Insulin resistance is when your cells don’t respond as they should to insulin, so your body is unable to use blood glucose for energy. This causes the pancreas to overproduce — resulting in high blood sugar.

But that’s not all…

“We showed your heart rate increases when you sleep in a moderately lit room,” says Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, a co-first author and research assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern.

In moderate light, compared to dim light, the heart rate increases as well as the force with which the heart contracts and the rate of how fast the blood is conducted to your blood vessels for oxygenated blood flow.

“Even though you are asleep, your autonomic nervous system is activated. That’s bad. Usually, your heart rate together with other cardiovascular parameters are lower at night and higher during the day.”

All of these effects from light at night — insulin resistance, harm to normal cardiovascular functions and weight gain — equate to a perfect recipe for metabolic syndrome.

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How to keep light from making you sick

According to Dr. Zee, “These findings are important, particularly for those living in modern societies where exposure to indoor and outdoor nighttime light is increasingly widespread.”

What does she recommend?

1. Don’t turn the lights on (in the bedroom). If you need to have a light on (which older adults may want for safety), make it a dim light that is closer to the floor.
2. Color is important. Amber or a red/orange light is less stimulating for the brain. Don’t use white or blue light and keep it far away from the sleeping person.
3. Blackout shades or eye masks are good if you can’t control the outdoor light. Move your bed so the outdoor light isn’t shining on your face.

How can you tell if your room is too lit? Dr. Zee says if you are able to see things really well, it’s probably too light.

Dr. Michael J. Breus, clinical psychologist and board-certified sleep specialist, also recommends:

1. Get plenty of light exposure during the day. Daytime light exposure improves your mood, strengthens your circadian rhythms and allows you to sleep better at night.
2. Avoid unnecessary and excessive exposure to evening light. Look for ways to reduce the amount of artificial light you’re exposed to once evening falls. Close your curtains to block bright street light or use dimmer switches to lower the level of light in your home after dinner.
3. Block bright and blue light on screens. Use the blue light-blocking filter on your phone and laptop (most are now equipped with this filter). Or you can attach blue light-blocking filters directly to the screens themselves, or use blue light-blocking glasses.

Sources:

Close the blinds during sleep to protect your health — Science Daily

Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function —Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Light exposure during sleep may increase insulin resistance —Science Daily

Unraveling the link between obesity and sleep — Eureka Alert

5 Serious Medical Conditions Linked To Nighttime Light Exposure — huffpost.com

The post The bad bedroom habit that leads to metabolic syndrome appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

At that time, we shared that five of the tested juices contained enough heavy metals to threaten the health of adults if they drank four ounces per day, and five more contained enough heavy metals to threaten the health of adults if they drank eight ounces per day.

If you still haven’t given up juice, a new study has emerged that shows just how widespread these toxins are — not only in juice but also in so-called “health” drinks that have become increasingly popular…

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From juices to plant-based milks, sodas and tea

Long-term exposure to arsenic can cause skin and lung cancer, neurological damage and heart disease. And exposure to cadmium can cause neurological damage, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension and kidney disease.

They are just two of 25 toxic metals and trace elements researchers at Tulane University tested levels of in 60 commercially available beverages.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to them that mixed-fruit juices contained elevated concentrations of toxic metals more often than other drinks. But it might surprise you as much as it did me to learn they found the same high levels in plant-based milks, like oat and almond.

In fact, out of the 60 drinks tested:

• Five contained levels of toxic metal exceeding federal drinking water standards.
• Two mixed juices had levels of arsenic above the 10 microgram/liter standard.
• A cranberry juice, a mixed carrot and fruit juice and an oat milk each had levels of cadmium higher than the 3 parts per billion standard.
• Seven of the 25 elements tested exceeded drinking water standards in some of the drinks: nickel, manganese, boron, cadmium, strontium, arsenic and selenium.
• Lead was detected in more than 93 percent of the 60 beverages, though most contained very low levels. The highest level was found in a lime sports drink, but it was still below both EPA and WHO standards for lead in drinking water.

The highest risks are to children and infants and the experts advise limiting these types of drinks.

Says lead author Tewodros Godebo, a Tulane University professor, “Arsenic, lead, and cadmium are known carcinogens and well established to cause internal organ damage and cognitive harm in children, especially during early brain development.”

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Should adults be concerned?

Even if the amount in this latest study of beverages was considered “low risk” for adults, you must consider your exposure from other sources — and for good reason…

Exposure to heavy metals can increase risks for cardiovascular disease by increasing oxidative stress in the blood vessels. Air pollution has been found to do the same and contribute to cognitive decline — even at levels well below the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ozone.

Some heavy metals are found naturally in soil, but industrial pollution has led to a surge. Water runoff pollutes the groundwater and makes its way to farmland. Particulate matter (PM), tiny particles of air pollution, has strong potential for absorbing toxic metals that may enter the body through inhalation.

At this point, there may not be much you can control about your exposure through the air, water and soil, but you can cut down on known sources — like these beverages — that bring these dangers directly into your body.

There are also steps you can take to promote the elimination of toxic heavy metals. For instance, Dr. Michael Cutler has written about “chelators” that bind to heavy metals to remove them from the body. You can also eat cleansing foods like organic vegetables, particularly broccoli.

Sources:

Study finds elevated levels of toxic metals in some mixed-fruit juices and soft drinks — EurekAlert!

Toxic metals and essential elements contents in commercially available fruit juices and other non-alcoholic beverages from the United States — Journal of Food Composition and Analysis

The post Drinking toxins: Heavy metal contamination reaches beyond juice appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yes, it’s convenient, and yes, it’s good at keeping your drinks cold or hot. And if you want to take your dinner home from the steakhouse, it’s hard to escape.

But the price you’re paying — the price we’re all paying — is becoming more and more clear, to the point where it’s hard to deny that we’re better off without it.

Microplastics and nanoplastics

Microplastics are plastic particles that are between 0.001 and 5 millimeters in size. Many are still visible to the naked eye.

Nanoplastics, on the other hand, are smaller than 0.001 millimeters in size and are invisible to the naked eye.

Both are hazardous to your health, and you’re being exposed to both … more than you think.

Eating fish and seafood that have consumed both types of particles is the most common way we ingest them without even knowing it.

But there are other sources, including things we consider good for us, like bottled water and vegetables.

Besides being toxic themselves, plastic particles pose a problem for another reason.

Other environmental poisons “hitch a ride” on microplastic particles that we ingest, and so get a lot closer to the walls of our cells than they normally would. From there, they can easily enter our bloodstream, and in a much more concentrated form.

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Styrofoam: one of the worst offenders

Polystyrene, better known as styrofoam, is one of the most treacherous nanoplastics of all.

Polystyrene releases the chemical styrene, which The Department of Health and Human Services’s National Toxicology Program has listed as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that short-term exposure to styrene can affect the nervous system, causing depression, weakness, fatigue, and nausea. Long-term exposure can cause liver and nerve tissue damage, as well as cancer.

Styrofoam nanoparticles reach the brain in just two hours

An Austrian and a Hungarian scientist have led a group of researchers in exploring just how polystyrene nanoparticles are able to cross the protective blood-brain barrier and enter the bloodstream.

They administered nanoparticles to mice by mouth, and something scary happened.

Despite having a protective barrier similar to humans, the nanoparticles reached the mouse brain in just two hours!

The researchers believe that the nature of the surface structure of each particle is key in letting it pass through the blood-brain barrier.

More research is needed, but other things are already known for certain. Both micro- and nanoparticles in the gastrointestinal tract have already been linked with localized inflammatory and autoimmune reactions, as well as the development of cancer.

“In the brain, plastic particles could increase the risk of inflammation, neurological disorders or even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s,” says lead author Lukas Kenner of the Medical University of Vienna.

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How to cut down on plastic in your brain and body

The pervasiveness of microplastics is something scientists have really only started to understand in the last several years. But we do know that microplastics and other toxins have been shown in many studies to pose a danger to human health, particularly when it comes to our hormones.

“To minimize the potential harm of micro- and nanoplastic particles to humans and the environment, it is crucial to limit exposure and restrict their use while further research is carried out into the effects of MNPs,” says Prof. Kenner.

While it might seem impossible to steer clear of these particles, you can minimize your exposure.

Buy organic. Even better, know the source. If you can gain access to local farmers and fishermen, you stand a better chance of finding cleaner food.

Drink tap water – and use a filter. According to one study, anyone who drinks the recommended 1.5-2 liters of water per day from plastic bottles will end up ingesting around 90,000 plastic particles a year in the process.

However, drinking tap water instead can — depending on the geographical location — help reduce this figure to 40,000. And using a water filter in your home will further reduce the particles you drink.

Basically, the more you can eliminate plastic from your world, especially your food, the better. Use glass storage containers instead of plastic, and avoid plastic wrappers as much as possible, or transfer your food to glass as soon as you get it home.

And of course, you should be doing things to support your liver as it removes toxins from your body, including detoxifying your body with the right foods and supplements.

Another reason to exercise regularly: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA have been found in sweat, which means your body may release them this way.

Sources:

Tiny plastic particles also find their way into the brain — Eureka Alert

Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed — Nanomaterials

The perils of polystyrene and why it should be banned — World Centric

Public health statement on styrene — cdc.gov

The post Tiny plastic particles can reach the brain in just 2 hours 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®.

Spring cleaning washes away months of dirt, dust and grease, freshens the air, and gets rid of clutter. And, if done with some happy music in the background, it can be fun!

But you can do more than just clean your home this spring. With a little planning, you can detoxify and cleanse your home and make it a healthier living space than it’s ever been before.

I’ve written before about the host of harmful chemicals in household cleaners. Phthalates are among the worst. They’re in any products that make your home smell good, from air fresheners to dish soap to laundry detergent. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors. They interrupt the function of your body’s many hormones — including your thyroid hormones.

Now I’d like to offer you a comprehensive list of tips on cleaning and detoxifying your home this spring that are safer. Even if you do half of these things, you’ll be breathing easier in the coming months.

Here’s how you can purge your home of hormone-harming, life-stealing toxins…

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8 things you can do now

1. Keep houseplants in every room.
Living with green plants increases the oxygen level in your home. During photosynthesis, plants absorb the carbon dioxide we breathe out and release oxygen.

At night, photosynthesis stops and most plants give off carbon dioxide. A few, including orchids, succulents and bromeliads, continue absorbing CO2 and releasing oxygen at night.

Also, see this NASA-approved list of plants you should keep throughout your home and especially in your bedroom to improve the air quality in your home while you sleep.

Note: Many beautiful plants are poisonous to dogs and cats and to curious babies and young children. Check with your pediatrician or your veterinarian before selecting houseplants that your children or furry friends might want to taste.

2. Take shoes off at the door.
Keeping dirt, soil and dust out of your home is important for more than cosmetic reasons. Most of the dirt, lead and toxins in your home come in on your shoes. So it’s a good idea to leave your shoes at the door and put on house slippers to avoid tracking it inside.

Simple trick: instead of placing your doormat horizontally across the doorstep, place it vertically. More dirt will be scraped off that way.

3. Freshen the air without chemicals.
Using synthetic air sprays and other fresheners is hazardous to your health. These products contain carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, respiratory irritants and other toxins.

Instead, put a box of baking soda in an inconspicuous place in your kitchen and bathroom, buy some fresh flowers, and open a window. Homemade sprays that include distilled water and essential oils are lovely and non-toxic.

I’ve been using a combination of distilled water, pure vanilla extract and sweet orange essential oil to sweeten the air in my kitchen.

Quick tip: Keep your orange or lemon peels and place them in about half a cup of water in a small sauce pan. Throw in a couple of cloves and simmer on your stovetop on low. Makes the whole house smell great!

4. Switch to pure beeswax candles.
Paraffin candles release benzene and toluene, both known carcinogens. As for soy candles, they are still processed with small amounts of paraffin, and most contain artificial fragrances.

Beeswax candles, on the other hand, burn clean, with no black petroleum-based soot. They give off a wonderful warm honey smell.

5. Stop cleaning with poison.
You’d be surprised at how a few inexpensive items you probably have at home can substitute for toxic cleaning products.

For example, a paste made from baking soda, castile soap and a few drops of the essential oil of your choice can clean sinks, counters, tiles and toilets beautifully (a final wash with water removes any baking soda residue).

A little research online or at your bookstore will reveal many aromatic housecleaning formulas that are safe and easy to make. Why not infuse your home with lavender, sweet orange or peppermint, instead of eau de formaldehyde?

6. Use essential oils for cleaning.
Commercial antibacterial products contain triclosan and formaldehyde, which lead to thyroid disruption and inflammation. Oregano oil soap or tea tree oil are great alternatives.

Clove oil is a sweet-smelling, non-chemical way to ditch the bleach and still get rid of mold and mildew.

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7. Filter your water.
There’s a lot we can do proactively to keep toxins out of our homes. One easy step is to purchase and install filters for drinking water taps and showerheads.

EWG’s Tap Water Database can help you identify potential toxins in your community’s drinking water.

In my small town water, it identified seven contaminants above health guideline levels, including arsenic, cadmium and cancer-causing PFOAs. Sure glad I’ve got a water filter on my tap!

But why a shower filter? Because many contaminants in tap water become gases at room temperature. A shower filter can help keep these toxins out of your air.

8. Filter your air.
Vacuum regularly. Those dust bunnies are natural magnets for chemicals. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, and an allergen-capturing dust bag.

Placing a free-standing HEPA air purifier unit in your living room and bedroom will dramatically reduce the dust and airborne toxins you breathe. Be sure to get one large enough for the room and make note of when filters need changing.

Remember to change the filter regularly in the return air vent of your home’s HVAC system.

Little-known tip: Did you know you can also filter the air in your home as it blows through your registers? You can find small filters at most home goods stores that are easy to cut to size. And, they are easy to slip into your floor or ceiling registers. This way the air in your home is filtered as it is pulled into the return air vent, as well as when it blows back out through the registers.

The post 8 ways to rid your home of dust, dirt and toxins this spring appeared first on Easy Health Options®.