Posts tagged: health risks

Most People Underestimate The Seriousness Of The Health Effects Of Air Pollution

Most People Underestimate The Seriousness Of The Health Effects Of Air Pollution
Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com

Poor air quality can cause very serious health conditions including lung and heart problems. Air pollution has been linked to a wide variety of health issues, with different types of air pollution responsible for different problems. “Particulate pollution” (consisting of particles as opposed to gases), such as that from smoke and toxic dusts, has been consistently linked to the severest problems – such as lung cancer and other heart/lung disease mortality. The burden of air pollution-related mortalities is especially high in developing countries, especially in Asia. [1]

Breathing Problems: Breathing pollutants and ozone can lead to breathing problems even in healthy individuals. Exposure to outdoor air pollutants can exacerbate the asthma symptoms in already sick people. [2]

Premature Deaths: A regular exposure to high levels of air pollutants can shorten the life-span and can lead to premature deaths in susceptible individuals.

Cardiovascular Disease: Air pollution can increase the risk of both heart attack and stroke. Studies have shown that the incidence of cardiovascular disease was increased in people living in communities with elevated concentrations of air pollutants. [3]

Lung Cancer: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Air pollution is a modifiable risk factor for lung cancer, which means it can be prevented if exposure to pollutants is decreased. [4]

Developmental Damages: Exposure to air pollutants in children has been linked with slow and stunt development of lungs, and can reduce the lung function when adults.

COPD Worsened: A high level of air pollutants in the environment can worsen the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms (COPD) and can lead to hospitalization in such patients. [5]

Here’s something you can do: This is interesting – check out these 19 houseplants that clean indoor air (based on NASA research)…
https://herbshealthhappiness.com/19-houseplants-that-clean-indoor-air/

References:

[1] Cohen, A.J., et al., The global burden of disease due to outdoor air pollution. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2005. 68(13-14): p. 1301-1307. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15287390590936166

[2] Guarnieri, M. and J.R. Balmes, Outdoor air pollution and asthma. The Lancet, 2014. 383(9928): p. 1581-1592. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4465283/

[3] Dockery, D.W. and P.H. Stone, Cardiovascular risks from fine particulate air pollution. N Engl J Med, 2007. 356(5): p. 511-513. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17267912/

[4] Fajersztajn, L., et al., Air pollution: a potentially modifiable risk factor for lung cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 2013. 13(9): p. 674-678. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc3572

[5] Hansel, N.N., M.C. McCormack, and V. Kim, The effects of air pollution and temperature on COPD. COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 2016. 13(3): p. 372-379. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15412555.2015.1089846

If You Really Think The Environment Is Less Important Than The Economy

If You Really Think The Environment Is Less Important Than The Economy
Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com

While the world focuses on ‘virus issues’, I have noticed a huge amount of litter in the countryside lately. Whether this is from a lack of staff to clear it up, or from an increased carelessness, I am not sure. But it is despicable and completely unnecessary. Who are these people?? Avoid Littering! There is simply no excuse for it other than pure disrespect. But litter is more than just ugliness, it causes harm to wildlife.

Here are a few further simple tips. Just play a part. Do something. If we all just stepped up and played a part, we could solve this problem.

Plant Trees: Trees contribute to purifying the air around us and help in climate control. Greenhouse gases have poisoned the air and have led to the depletion of the protective ozone layer. Trees emit oxygen in the environment that reduces the level of greenhouse gases.

Avoid Plastic Usage: Plastics are a non-biodegradable substance that does not decompose, but instead breaks into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics due to the action of air, water, and heat. [1]. Plastics in the environment cause great damage to marine life and birds and microplastics end up back in the food chain where they will come full circle and be eaten by us! Plastic is, quite simply, a disaster and it would be ideal if its use could be banned and it be replaced with less harmful materials, I doubt that this will happen though because idiot politicians don’t really care about anything they are not being paid by lobbyists to push on the public.

Go Solar: Coal and petroleum, two main sources of energy have notorious effects of air pollution. Coal burning also releases mercury which ends up migrating through the food chain and into large fish such as tuna and swordfish, which must now only be consumed in smaller quantities in order to avoid mercury overexposure.

More Tips – 40 Ways To Go Greener At Home: https://off-grid.info/blog/40-ways-to-go-greener-at-home/

References:

[1] Derraik, J.G., The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review. Marine pollution bulletin, 2002. 44(9): p. 842-852. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X02002205

[2] Angrill, S., et al., Environmental analysis of rainwater harvesting infrastructures in diffuse and compact urban models of Mediterranean climate. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012. 17(1): p. 25-42. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11367-011-0330-6

4 Dangerous Toxins To The BRAIN

Four Dangerous Toxins To The BRAIN
Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com

In the modern era it is more important than ever to understand and take positive action to minimize your exposure to pollutants. Here we illustrate four toxins with references to scientific studies reporting the health concerns associated with their exposure / use.

Heavy Metals: “Heavy metals” is a term originally intended to indicate metals that are high in the periodic table, however within health conversations it generally refers to the metals with high toxicity, including Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Arsenic (As). Heavy metals are often challenging for the body’s elimination systems, with the result that they often bioaccumulate in the body over the course of time, with a small concentration of heavy metals having deleterious effects in the long term. Exposure to heavy metals can damage the brain, kidney, and developing fetus. Effects on the brain are expressed as tremors, irritability, and memory problems. Heavy metal accumulation in the body has been implicated in numerous diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, behavioral issues and more. [1]

Fluoride: In 2006, after years of controversy, the United States NRC (National Research Council) came to the conclusion that fluoride does have adverse effects on brain health. [2] The EPA’s exposure limit for fluoride is 4.0mg/L. A review of multiple studies has shown that a high concentration of fluoride in groundwater is linked with cognitive defects and poor IQ performance in children at school age. [3]

Monosodium Glutamate: Monosodium glutamate is widely used as a food additive in commercially manufactured processed foods. It gives a flavour ‘enhancement’ to foods. MSG acts as an excitotoxin when consumed in excessive amounts and has been linked to numerous health consequences. MSG leads to excessive production of glutamate, which normally functions as a neurotransmitter but the higher level can have negative effects on brain health. MSG has been linked with obesity, neurotoxic health, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. [4]

Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners have been linked with brain damage and obesity. Aspartame, an artificial sweetener has been associated with cognitive problems and neurophysiological symptoms including headache, seizures, anxiety, and depression. [5]

More Toxins To Avoid: 9 Toxins You Should Remove From Your Life ASAP (Plus Safer Alternatives) https://herbshealthhappiness.com/9-toxins-to-remove-from-your-life/

References:

[1] Engwa, G.A., et al., Mechanism and health effects of heavy metal toxicity in humans, in Poisoning in the Modern World-New Tricks for an Old Dog? 2019, IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/books/poisoning-in-the-modern-world…/

[2] Council, N.R., Fluoride in drinking water: a scientific review of EPA’s standards. 2007: National Academies Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cDiJAIbMD_oC&oi=fnd&pg=PT20

[3] Grandjean, P., Developmental fluoride neurotoxicity: an updated review. Environ Health, 2019. 18(1): p. 110. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31856837/

[4] Niaz, K., E. Zaplatic, and J. Spoor, Extensive use of monosodium glutamate: A threat to public health? Excli j, 2018. 17: p. 273-278. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29743864/

[5] Choudhary, A.K. and Y.Y. Lee, Neurophysiological symptoms and aspartame: What is the connection? Nutr Neurosci, 2018. 21(5): p. 306-316. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28198207/