Lead harms the liver

A paper presented at the AASLD — The Liver Meeting in November 2023 suggests a link between exposure to environmental toxins, including low levels of lead, and liver scarring that can lead to liver disease and cancer

The researchers found that the number of people with advanced liver fibrosis has risen, and the risk factors varied by race and ethnicity, highlighting the theory that chronic disease may be driven, at least in part, by environmental factors

A second 2023 study found low-level lead exposure was associated with 765 million lost IQ points in children aged 5 and younger and 5.5 million deaths in adults due to cardiovascular disease

Risks are also multigenerational, meaning that exposure during pregnancy can lead to epigenetic changes in DNA methylation patterns in grandchildren. Your first step is to be tested and work with a health care practitioner who is adept at removing lead without causing more harm

Avoid consuming more lead by testing for, and filtering out, lead in your cooking and drinking water; by testing older house paint for lead; and being mindful not to buy or use household products that may contain lead, such as medicine, cosmetics and children's toys 

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The most contaminated fruits & vegetables

Fresh produce, whether organic or conventionally grown, is one of the healthiest food choices you can make. Organic produce gains an edge, however, because it tends to be more nutritious, tastes better and, importantly, does not contain pesticide residues like conventional produce does

An investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published in 2020 concluded that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has, in most cases, failed to take children into account when setting allowable limits for pesticides. As a result, children who eat conventional produce may be exposed to unsafe levels of these chemicals

If your budget prevents you from buying organic food 100% of the time — or there's not an adequate selection in your area — it's useful to know which conventional foods are the most contaminated and therefore the most important to buy organic 

Since 2004, the EWG has released "Dirty Dozen" and “Clean 15” lists for produce, based on testing data from the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. In 2023, strawberries, spinach, kale, collard, mustard greens, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell and hot peppers, cherries, blueberries and green beans had the highest levels of pesticides

Blueberries and green beans are new additions to the Dirty Dozen list. Nearly 80% blueberry samples contained two or more pesticides, including malathion, which has toxic effects on the human nervous system and is classified as a probable human carcinogen

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Sugar industry bribing influencers

The FTC sent warning letters to two trade groups and more than a dozen influencers — including 12 registered dieticians — who made posts on Instagram and TikTok promoting the artificial sweetener aspartame as well as sugar-containing products

After WHO warned of aspartame health risks, a coordinated campaign by trade group American Beverage resulted in at least 35 paid social media posts from health professionals

The Canadian Sugar Institute, a trade group funded by the sugar industry, also paid registered dieticians to promote junk foods like ice cream, peanut butter cups, doughnuts and cookies 

The FTC letters that were sent to the American Beverage Association and the Canadian Sugar Institute warn that the trade groups may have violated the FTC Act because they didn’t adequately disclose that the influencers’ posts were actually paid promotions

Civil penalties of up to $50,120 per violation could be imposed for any future failures to disclose “unexpected material connections, ” according to the FTC 

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Natural herbal flu remedies

Colds and the flu are caused by viruses, which means antibiotics are not effective treatments and can actually lengthen the time you are sick

There are many different ways you can shorten the amount of time you suffer with a virus and help prevent a recurrence

Do not use over-the-counter remedies as they often contain substances now found to suppress your ability to fight the virus and will extend the time you suffer from a cold

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Eggs prevent diseases

Choline is a crucial nutrient for healthy fetal development and the function of your brain, nervous system, mitochondria and cardiovascular system. It also plays a role in metabolism and DNA synthesis

According to recent research, eggs, which are rich in choline, have anti-inflammatory activity and can be particularly useful in those with insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndrome

A small amount of choline is produced by your liver. The rest must be supplied through your diet. The recommended adequate intake for choline is about 550 milligrams a day, but many get nowhere near this amount. Some estimates suggest 90% of the U.S. population is deficient in choline   

Studies have linked higher choline intake to a range of benefits, including a decreased risk for heart disease, a 24% decreased risk for breast cancer, and the prevention of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

NAFLD is the most common form of liver disease in the U.S., and prevalence has skyrocketed among children in recent years. Choline deficiency may be driving factor in this trend because if you don’t have enough choline, any dietary fat, and any food the liver can turn into fat, such as refined sugar and ethanol (alcohol), will promote the accumulation of liver fat

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Good metabolism prevents cancer

Most chronic diseases affecting us today, including heart disease, dementia, obesity, diabetes and cancer are rooted in metabolic dysfunction

October 10 is the International Metabolic Health Day. Celebrate by assessing your metabolic health and cleaning up your diet

One of the best ways to identify metabolic flexibility and health is a fasting insulin test. Ideally, you want it to be below 3

If you’re already eating a healthy diet, exercising, and all of your metabolic parameters look good, yet you have an insulin level of 7 or 8, stress may be the culprit, because cortisol raises insulin. Cortisol release is actually a rescue mechanism to ensure you don’t die from low blood sugar

The Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health will be a truly integrated residential oncology hospital and metabolic research institute. Once funding has been secured, they expect to be up and running within 18 months 

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Light can heal

Photobiology is the therapeutic use of light to improve health. Heliotherapy is the therapeutic use of sunlight

In the late 19th century, we started gaining a great deal of knowledge about how light acts on the human body, starting with the experiments of A. Downes and T.P . Blunt, who discovered that UV radiation kills bacteria 

From 1900 to 1950, phototherapy was a state-of-the-art therapeutic intervention in medicine. Today, much of what was common knowledge has been lost, and we’re now rediscovering the vital importance of sunlight

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