372 Cleaning Product Ingredients [6 June 2016]

Manufacturers of cleaning products warn consumers of risks of acute exposure to their products with hazard signs like “corrosive” or “poison”. But they are not required to inform us about the health hazards of long term exposure to the ingredients in their products (davidsuzuki.org). They are not even required to list all the ingredients! When we use the products, we breathe in the fumes and absorb the chemicals through our skin. So it’s up to each of us to learn about these ingredients and their risks and to avoid them wherever possible.

Here are some of the ingredients we should try to avoid:
• Ammonia is often used in glass cleaners. It has very irritating fumes which can harm the respiratory tract.
• Chlorine bleach fumes are very irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract and produces a very poisonous gas when mixed with ammonia.
• Synthetic dyes add color but do nothing for the cleaning action. Dyes are possible carcinogens and may contain toxic metals.
• Synthetic fragrances, which include phthalates, can be irritants, trigger allergies, interfere with hormones, and are harmful to the environment. They abound in air fresheners but can be found in almost any cleaning product.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (solvents like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and formaldehyde) are toxic and increase cancer risk.
• Sulfuric Acid commonly found in toilet bowl cleaners is extremely corrosive
• Sulfates, including sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), are foaming agents found in shampoos and some cleaning products and are known irritants and suspected carcinogens.

Why store and use poisons in your home when there are safe natural products that work well and may cost less? Ask me about my new line of natural cleaning products for bathroom, kitchen & laundry using safe natural ingredients and scented with essential oils. They are super concentrated so can even save you money. And they are not tested on animals!

A good source for more information is davidsuzuki.org and healthyenvironmentforkids.ca.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

344 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals [9 Nov 2015]

Last week I mentioned a group of chemicals called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which mimic our hormones causing many different health problems. They are chemically similar and have some but not all of the physiological properties of our real hormones.

Here is how the Environmental Working Group (EWG) describes them:

“There is no end to the tricks that endocrine disruptors can play on our bodies: increasing production of certain hormones; decreasing production of others; imitating hormones; turning one hormone into another; interfering with hormone signaling; telling cells to die prematurely; competing with essential nutrients; binding to essential hormones; accumulating in organs that produce hormones.”

The EWG lists the 12 worst endocrine disruptors, the conditions they have been linked to, and how to avoid them, in a booklet called “Dirty Dozen”:
• Bisphenol-A (BPA) – mimics estrogen, linked to breast cancer, early puberty & other reproductive problems, and heart disease
• Dioxin – persistent, linked to lower sperm quality, carcinogenic
• Atrazine – breast & prostate cancer, delayed puberty
• Phthalates – male reproductive birth defects, testicular cell death
• Perchlorate – competes with iodine causing thyroid dysfunction
• Fire retardants – polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), imitate thyroid hormones, very persistent (found in polar bears and breast milk)
• Lead – deadly toxic, lowers sex hormones, reduces resistance to stress
• Mercury –interferes with women’s cycle, concentrates in fetal brain
• Arsenic – small amounts cause skin, bladder and lung cancer; trace amount interferes with sugar regulating hormones
• Perflourinated chemicals (PFCs) – affects thyroid and sex hormones
• Organophosphate pesticides – affects brain development, thyroid, fertility
• Glycol ethers (brake fluid, solvents) – shrinks testicles, fetal defects

“Dirty Dozen” is downloadable from their website ewg.org. For a more detailed technical discussion see the Endocrine Society’s EDC Statement.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

343 Reducing Chemical Exposure [2 Nov 2015]

Last week I wrote about the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) report on the threat to human health from exposure to chemicals. One group of chemicals, called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, messes up our hormones causing all kinds of health problems. The best-known of these are BPA & BPS, phthalates, certain pesticides, and the anti-bacterial triclosan. I’ll write more on these next week.

Toxic chemicals are everywhere in our modern world – we can’t completely avoid them. Severely sensitive individuals must go to extreme lengths just to survive, but there are many simple things the rest of us can do to reduce our exposure and improve our health.

• Choose locally grown organically raised whole foods whenever possible
• Reduce processed and packaged foods
• Use ceramic or glass cookware rather than aluminum or non-stick
• Store food and beverages in glass rather than plastic
• Filter tap water for both drinking and bathing
• Use organic shampoo, toothpaste, deodorants and cosmetics
• Replace flame-retardant furniture, carpets, drapes, etc.
• Replace stain-resistant clothing and furniture
• Choose fragrance-free products when available
• Replace vinyl shower curtain with fabric or glass doors
• Use natural household cleaning products, or better yet make your own
• Use natural rather than chemical pesticides in your yard and garden
• Women – use organic cotton pads and tampons or a menstrual cup
• Read labels and choose BPA free plastic and canned goods
• Avoid handling thermal receipts which contain BPA (yikes! I handle dozens every day. If you see me wearing gloves at my desk you’ll know why)
• Check the Environmental Working Group website for the safest consumer products [ewg.org]. There is a wealth of up-to-date information on this site.

Making a few changes at a time will reduce your risk from toxic chemicals. If you are pregnant or have young children in your home, it’s even more critical.

Sources:
Mercola.com 13 Oct 2015 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Endocrine Society Statement on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

342 Toxic Chemicals and Reproductive Health [26 Oct 2015]

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) released a report October 1, 2015, on the threat to human health posed by exposure to chemicals. Reproductive health professionals witness first-hand the increasing numbers of health problems facing their patients due to exposure to chemicals. Here are a few quotes from the report:

• Exposure to toxic environmental chemicals during pregnancy and breastfeeding is ubiquitous and is a threat to healthy human reproduction. …even small exposures to toxic chemicals during pregnancy can trigger adverse health consequences.

• Miscarriage and still birth, impaired fetal growth, congenital malformations, impaired or reduced neurodevelopment and cognitive function, and an increase in cancer, attention problems, ADHD behaviors, and hyperactivity are among the list of poor health outcomes linked to chemicals such as pesticides, air pollutants, plastics, solvents and more…

• In the US alone more than 30,000 pounds of chemicals per person are manufactured or imported and yet the vast majority of these chemicals have not been tested.

• …international trade agreements weaken controls and regulations designed to protect communities from toxic chemicals.

• Exposure to toxic environmental chemicals is linked to millions of deaths and costs billions of dollars every year.

• The cost of childhood diseases related to environmental toxins and pollutants in air, food, water, soil, and in homes and neighborhoods was calculated to be $76.6 billion in 2008 in the United States.

• We are drowning our world in untested and unsafe chemicals and the price we are paying in terms of our reproductive health is of serious concern.

The FIGO report was authored by a group of physicians and scientists from the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Read the press release and full report at www.figo.org. Next week – tips on how to reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.