Can Toxic Chemicals Inside the Home Increase Complications of COVID-19?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 07:00:53 +0000

Damon Hines via NaturalHealth365 – Is it possible that our immune systems are being hacked by the toxic chemicals in our homes? And do these toxic chemicals increase complications of COVID-19? Yes, it’s quite possible! Scientists agree that long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, asthma and coronary artery disease – four of the biggest underlying health risks associated with COVID-19. But there are hazardous chemicals right inside our own home – the “safe” place that we’ve been told to shelter since the start of the global pandemic –that might be affecting our immune system’s defense against COVID-19. The Unseen Dangers of Synthetic Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Inside Our Home Toxic endocrine disrupting chemicals lurk everywhere. They’re found in food, food packaging, non-stick pans, cosmetics (nail polish, hairspray), fragrances, cleaning products, plastic packages, and children’s toys. And that’s just the beginning. Common endocrine disrupting chemicals Common endocrine disrupting chemicals include bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in the production of certain plastics; Phthalates, which is a plasticizer chemical found in toys, plastic wrap, and fragrance; and PFAS (otherwise known as “forever chemicals”), a family of fluorinated compounds that include more than 4,700 chemicals, and which are said to contaminate the drinking water of over 100 million Americans nationwide. These hazardous chemicals affect our endocrine system by interfering with our hormones’ normal functions. The endocrine system plays an important role in development, metabolism and reproduction, and when these chemicals increase the production of certain hormones and decrease production of others, the body’s normal functioning is scrambled, resulting in a panoply of adverse effects and health conditions. Endocrine disrupting chemical studies Studies have linked endocrine disrupting chemicals to cancer, thyroid disease, birth defects, developmental disorders, raised infertility rates, and lowered IQs, among other heath conditions. Moreover, bisphenol A (BPA) has been found in the laboratory to increase the body’s release of a molecule called interleukin-6, which is believed to play a role in ravaging the lungs of COVID-19 patients. It’s unclear how much endocrine disrupting chemicals are increasing the threat of COVID-19, but what’s crystal-clear is how dangerous these toxic chemicals are to our immune systems, contributing to an increase of disease and disability. How to Prevent Contaminants from Attacking the Immune System As the EPA and FDA continually bow to the economic pressure of big corporations, failing to protect the American people from known toxic ingredients and materials, we need to be our own healthcare advocates and orchestrate long-term lifestyle changes. By limiting the exposure to everyday hormone disrupting chemicals we can boost our immune system and better fight off the negative effects of viruses and infections. How can we limit the exposure to these types of toxic chemicals? Start by: Frequently washing your hands Dusting and vacuuming often Purifying the tap water, if you use it for cooking, showering or drinking Avoiding the use of plastics, cans, and fragrances Steering clear of plastic food containers Cutting back on the consumption of “fast” (junk) foods Avoiding the use of non-stick pans Reading all ingredient labels (if you don’t understand it, don’t buy it) While it might be nearly impossible to avoid all the dangerous synthetic chemicals that lurk throughout our daily lives, we can make our homes a safer place. Just start by taking one lifestyle action step at a time. And, enjoy the process! Sources for this article include: TheGuardian.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post Can Toxic Chemicals Inside the Home Increase Complications of COVID-19? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Family Environment Affects Adolescent Brain Development

AHA Publisher — Fri, 22 May 2020 07:00:30 +0000

Karolinska Institutet via EurekAlert – Childhood environment and socioeconomic status affect cognitive ability and brain development during adolescence independently of genetic factors, researchers at Karolinska Institutet report in a new study published in the journal PNAS. The study demonstrates how important the family environment is, not just during early infancy but also throughout adolescence. While the way in which genes and environment affect the brain and cognitive faculties is a hotly debated topic, previous studies have not taken genes into account when describing environmental effects. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have therefore studied both environmental factors and a new genetic measure – an index value based on an aggregation of the 5,000 or so DNA locations that are most strongly associated with educational attainment. The study involved 551 adolescents from different socioeconomic environments around Europe. At the age of 14, the participants gave DNA samples, performed cognitive tests and had their brain imaged in a MR scanner, a process that was repeated five years later. At the age of 14, genes and environment were independently associated with cognitive ability (measured using working memory tests) and brain structure. The environmental effects were, however, 50 to 100 per cent stronger than the genetic. Differences in socioeconomic status were related to differences in the total surface area of the neocortex. “The previous debate was whether there is a special area that is affected by the environment, such as long-term memory or language,” says Nicholas Judd, doctoral student at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and co-first author of the study along with his departmental colleague Bruno Sauce. “However, we’ve been able to show that the effect occurs across the neocortex and so probably affects a whole host of functions.” Genetic differences were also linked to brain structure, affecting not only the brain’s total area but also specifically an area of the right parietal lobe known to be important for mathematical skills, reasoning and working memory. This is the first time a brain area has been identified that is linked to this genetic index. When the researchers followed up on the teenagers five years later, they were able to examine how genes and environment had affected the brain’s development during adolescence. What they discovered was that while the genes did not explain any of the cerebral changes, the environment did. However, it is unknown which aspect of the environment is responsible for this. “There are a number of possible explanations, such as chronic stress, diet or intellectual stimulation, but the study shows just how important the environment is, not only during early childhood,” says principal investigator Torkel Klingberg, professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. “Finding the most important environmental factors for optimising childhood and adolescent development is a matter for future research.” To read the original article click here.

The post Family Environment Affects Adolescent Brain Development appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

home environment Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Can Toxic Chemicals Inside the Home Increase Complications of COVID-19?

Family Environment Affects Adolescent Brain Development