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Exploring the Biological Variables That Promote Mental Health
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I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dr. Josh Axe on the Ancient Health Podcast (video above). The focus of the interview is the link between emotional wellbeing and physical health. As noted by Axe, the mental health of Americans has nosedived over the past five years, and while there are many contributors to that, one of the factors that I’m most passionate about exploring is the biological variables.
I’ve come to realize that there's a strong connection between your body's ability to create cellular energy and your mental and emotional health. When cellular energy production decreases, you have less energy overall, including for brain processing. And, of course, your brain regulates your mental state and, subsequently, your emotional well-being.
Seed Oils Wreck Your Brain Function
Your brain makes up just 2% of your body yet consumes 20% of the energy your body produces. That's an extraordinary fact that strongly suggests energy is important for the brain and for mental health. Two decades ago, my primary focus was on insulin. But over time, I’ve come to appreciate that insulin is, for the most part, just an innocent bystander. It’s not the cause of metabolic dysfunction.
Sure, it is probably the single best biometric indicator of metabolic flexibility and 93.4% of Americans are metabolically inflexible. Those data are from 2019, so it’s probably even higher than that today. Ideally your fasting insulin should be below 3.0.
My last fasting insulin was below 0.4 and was not detectable. This is despite having well over 400 grams of carbohydrates, proving, at least in my case, that a high carb diet does not have to be related to insulin resistance.
So, if insulin isn’t the culprit and merely an innocent victim, what's the cause? The cause is not excessive amounts of carbs or sugar, rather, I believe it’s due to excessive intake of seed oils and processed foods, which are loaded with harmful linoleic acid (LA).
Before 1870, seed oils didn’t exist. Today, they account for most of the fats consumed daily. There’s a severe health consequence to that, because LA is very fragile, perishable and highly susceptible to oxidative stress. The fats themselves aren't particularly dangerous, but because they're so susceptible to damage, they form highly toxic metabolic byproducts called OXLAMs, oxidative linoleic acid metabolites, such as 4-HNE.
There are hundreds of these reactive aldehydes that cause damage. The good news is that if you don't have high LA, you won’t make them. So, that’s the solution. Antioxidants have their place, but they cannot make up for all the damage caused by high LA. The most comprehensive solution is to lower your LA intake to avoid all that unnecessary oxidative stress in the first place.
So, that, I believe, is the primary causative factor. Fundamentally, those who are healthier biologically and can create cellular energy will have good thyroid function and healthy brain function. Once you get over 5 grams of LA per day, you increase your risk for almost every disease, especially cancer, but also neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, as well as mental health problems.
On a side note, I believe excesses of estrogen, LA and endotoxin are the three primary causes of cancer because they all destroy metabolic function. When your mitochondria don't work, your body is forced to resort to anaerobic fermentation, where energy is created in the cytoplasm of the cell through glycolysis rather than mitochondria.
Glycolysis is highly inefficient and generates many problems if used inappropriately. So, basically, if you’re metabolically inflexible, you’re likely relying on what is basically a cancer pathway.
Obviously, as noted by Axe, societal changes involving social media and smartphone addiction also play a role, especially among younger individuals. Many spend hours on their phones or tablets rather than spending time outdoors, which certainly doesn’t help matters.
The Importance of Sunlight
Aside from connecting with nature, which has its own proven mental health benefits, spending time outdoors is also required to optimize your vitamin D level. This fall, I’ll be releasing a book in which I’ve condensed 50 years of studying and seeking to understand biology and what optimizes it, and sun exposure is one of the most foundational strategies in this respect.
Granted, you must live in a location where year-round vitamin D production is possible. Many don't. I happen to live in Florida, where there’s typically sufficient sunlight year-round. We only have about two months of the year where you're not going to get sufficient solar radiation exposure.
Radiation from the sun peaks at solar noon, and that’s the ideal time to be outside with minimal clothing. Spending at least one hour in the sun is a good goal. If you live at a low latitude, 15 to 20 minutes may suffice, especially in the summer months.
Ideally, test your vitamin D level twice a year, in the winter and summer, to make sure you’re in a healthy range of 60 ng/mL to 80 ng/mL year-round. (A compelling body of research suggests 40 ng/mL is the cutoff for sufficiency.)
If you cannot get enough sun exposure, taking an oral vitamin D3 supplement would be prudent. Just make sure you’re also getting enough vitamin K2 and magnesium, as they work in tandem. For example, having low amounts of magnesium has been shown to significantly increase your supplemental vitamin D requirement.
Research1 shows you need 146% more vitamin D to achieve a blood level of 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) if you do not take supplemental magnesium, compared to taking your vitamin D with at least 400 mg of magnesium per day. Your vitamin K2 intake can also affect your required vitamin D dosage.
Data2 from nearly 3,000 individuals revealed 244% more oral vitamin D was required to get 50% of the population to achieve a vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) if they weren’t concurrently also taking magnesium and vitamin K2. So, a simple way to optimize your vitamin D absorption is to take it in conjunction with magnesium and K2.
Near-IR in Sunlight Promotes Mitochondrial Energy Production
But the key is to get outside. And, as noted by Axe, there’s more to sun exposure than vitamin D production. About 15% to 20% of solar radiation is near-infrared (near-IR) radiation, which has its own set of benefits. The UVB that creates vitamin D is only about 5%.
One of the most important health benefits of near-IR is that it promotes mitochondrial cellular energy production. In the interview, I detail the exact mechanism for this, but in short, near-IR penetrate deep into your tissues where it activates Complex IV in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, also known as cytochrome c oxidase.
Complex IV contains minerals such as iron and copper that function as chromophores — a word that means they magnets for light. As a result, Complex IV can generate energy more efficiently. Near-IR also creates structured water, H3O2, which stores energy much like a battery.
I’m in the process of writing a scientific paper explaining how transducers in your body convert sunlight into biological energy stored as structured water, which then is used by your mitochondria. That energy also increases the hydrogen ion concentration in the intermembrane space, which is what's needed to drive ATP synthase. So, it facilitates production of mitochondrial energy.
Your Brain and Body Need Glucose
Structured water as a storage of energy is very similar to the way glucose is a storage of energy. When you eat more glucose than your body needs, it’ll be stored in your liver as glycogen, which is the preferred fuel of your brain. Without a supply of glucose, you’d be dead in minutes.
Sure, ketones supply energy to the brain, but they’re a co-factor, not the sole source. Your brain needs glucose. We know this because if you give someone a large-enough dose of insulin, they’ll die because it’ll drive their blood sugar level down too low. As a result, their brain stops working and they go into a coma.
Unfortunately, many don’t get enough glucose from their diet, which means their bodies must produce glucose by activating stress hormones like glucagon, adrenaline, and cortisol. This is also why I don’t recommend long-term fasting or chronic keto.
If you fast for a week, you’ll activate stress hormones because your body needs glucose. Unfortunately, these stress hormones make glucose by sacrificing the protein stored in your muscle, bones and brain.
To avoid this, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting at least 150 grams of glucose a day, ideally from ripe fruit. My carb intake is currently between 400 to 450 grams a day, and I feel great.
If you have a healthy gut, you’ll be able to incorporate more fruit fiber without a problem. If your gut is impaired, however, the extra fiber can feed endotoxin-producing bacteria in your gut, which will suppress your mitochondrial function even further. In this case, start by introducing things like pulp-free orange juice.
Glycine Is Important for Brain Health
One food that most people aren’t getting enough of is collagen, which is essential for the structural integrity of your bones, skin, hair, nails, tendons and ligaments. Emerging data suggest glycine supplementation is useful, which makes sense considering it’s one of the three primary amino acids found in collagen.
If you don't get enough glycine, you cannot build healthy collagen. Glycine also plays several critical roles in the brain, impacting cognition, mood, and overall neurological function. It serves both as a neurotransmitter and a neuromodulator in the central nervous system. It helps reduce neuronal excitability, leading to a calming effect on the brain.
Glycine has also been shown to improve sleep quality. It lowers body temperature and calms the brain, helping you fall asleep more quickly and enhancing the overall quality of sleep. Improved sleep, in turn, can significantly impact cognitive function, mood, decision-making and learning.
Here, it’s important to realize that meat is a very poor source of glycine, so beef alone will not provide you with the amino acids you really need. The primary amino acids in red meat are methionine, histidine and tryptophan, which are all associated with decreases in longevity. If you balance it out with collagen, then red meat is fine, but eating just meat can be problematic. You can learn more about this in “Why Collagen Is a Proven Necessity.”
The Easy Way to Make Bone Broth
The best source of collagen is homemade bone broth, which you can whip up in four hours using a pressure cooker. Simply place the bones in the Instant Pot, fill the pot with pure, filtered water — just enough to cover the bones — add salt and other spices to taste, then set it to cook on high for two hours if the bones are CAFO, and four hours if organic and grass fed.
Organic grass fed beef bones are the best. Using bones from CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) beef can be problematic due to potential heavy metal contamination. When cooking these bones in a pressure cooker, it's best to limit the time to two hours to avoid introducing heavy metals into your broth.
If you're using beef bones from grass fed organic sources, you can safely cook them for four hours. Using bones from an organic source is even more important if you’re using chicken, as CAFO chickens tend to produce stock that doesn’t gel,3 which raises questions about the quality of the collagen you’re getting.
When preparing bone broth at home, it is important to chill the bone broth before you eat so the fat will rise to the top and you can skim it off. While some beef fat is good, excess can be problematic.
On a side note, if you have a dog, you can carve off the loose cartilage around the joints after two hours and feed the cartilage to your pet. If you cook the bones for four hours or longer, most of the collagen will be dissolved in the broth, so there won’t be anything left to pick off. More importantly, you never want to give your dog cooked bones as they can splinter during chewing and cause great damage to the esophagus.
Eggs Are Great Brain Food
Egg yolks are another excellent brain food, provided you’re getting organic eggs that are low in LA as promoted by Ashley Armstrong. I avoid the egg whites, as they’re loaded with tryptophan, which is precursor of serotonin, and excess serotonin is another oft-ignored hazard.
Egg yolks are a primary source of choline, which most are deficient in, unless they eat eggs. You need about 400 to 500 milligrams of choline a day, and one egg yolk contains about 125 mg. Choline is a precursor for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter for the parasympathetic nervous system which, in many, doesn't function well.
How to Avoid Common Toxins
Axe and I also discuss how to avoid common toxins such as glyphosate and other pesticides. As the name implies, glyphosate is glycine with phosphates on it. It basically acts as a substitute to glycine, which can cause severe problems.
Without doubt, glyphosate is a metabolic poison that should not be in your body. Fortunately, there are simple and easy ways to avoid it. One is to make sure you get enough collagen. Alternatively, you could take a glycine supplement. By having enough glycine in your body, the glyphosate molecule can’t be integrated into your proteins.
The second way is to avoid GMO grains, as genetically engineered grains are typically doused with large doses of glyphosate that get integrated into the grain itself. It cannot be washed off, so it ends up in the food. Conventional wheat, while not a GMO, is also commonly desiccated (dried) with glyphosate, so opt for organic.
Lastly, you’ll want to detox as much as possible, and one of the safest, easiest and most effective ways to do that is sauna therapy. I do a near-IR sauna three days a week. The reason sauna works is because you excrete toxins when you sweat.
Walking Does Your Body Good
Exercise is, of course, another foundational health principle, and there’s good news on this front as well. Recent research shows that when it comes to exercise, walking takes the top prize, and that’s something most people can easily incorporate.
In November 2023 I interviewed Dr. James O'Keefe, a cardiologist with the Mid-America Heart Institute at St. Louis Hospital in Kansas City, about exercise dosing. He completed his cardiology training at Mayo Clinic.
He and three other coauthors published a meta-analysis in the March-April 2023 issue of Missouri Medicine,4 the journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, which showed that:
1. Too much vigorous exercise backfires — If you’re sedentary and begin to exercise, you get a dose-dependent decrease in mortality, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, coronary disease, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, falls and more. However, beyond 75 minutes per week, you start losing those benefits. Beyond four hours a week, you not only gain nothing in terms of health benefits, you also radically raise your risk of heart problems.
2. You cannot overdo moderate exercise — In the case of moderate exercise, however — loosely defined as exercising to the point where you're slightly winded but can carry on a conversation — it’s very clear that more IS better and cannot be overdone.
Perhaps even more surprising, moderate exercise also improves all-cause survival better than vigorous exercise — about two times better. Examples of moderate physical activity include gardening, housework, yoga and walking, just to name a few.
3. Overdoing strength training is worse than doing nothing at all — The benefits of strength training maxes out at 40 to 60 minutes a week. Beyond that, you’re losing benefit, and once you get to 130 to 140 minutes of strength training per week, you actually end up with WORSE long-term survival than people who don't strength train!
So, 20 minutes twice a week on non-consecutive days, or 40 minutes once a week is the sweet spot. You also don’t want your exercise regimen to center around strength training. It should be an add-on, as you get far greater benefits simply from walking, or any other moderate exercise.
What all of this means in practical terms is that there’s no need to engage in high-intensity strenuous exercise beyond 75 minutes per week, or strength training beyond 40 minutes a week. Doing so can be highly counterproductive.
Instead, focus on mild to moderate physical activities, things that keep your body in motion without placing much strain or stress on it. Walking is perhaps the best activity you can do. It’s about 2,000 steps per mile, and every 1,000 steps you get on average per day reduces your mortality by 10% to 15%.
And, again, while benefits begin to plateau around 12,000 steps, they do not decrease and become counterproductive, as what happens when you’re doing too much high-intensity exercise.
In the interview, I also discuss the importance of mobility-enhancing exercises, such as exercises to improve your neck flexibility and hand grip strength, the latter of which is a reliable marker of your biological age.
The Importance of Connecting to Spirit
Last but certainly not least, we also discuss the importance of connecting to spirit, and how optimizing your biology facilitates that. The energy produced by your cells is essentially identical to the energy that created the material universe — including you — and by optimizing your mitochondrial energy production, you’re also opening the door to greater connection with Spirit or the Source from which you came.
So, not only do you improve your biological health, but you also improve your spiritual health and your ability to connect to your consciousness, which in turn will grant you access to resources and wisdom that is not available in your mind alone. Your mind is usually polluted with brainwashing and propaganda, and the easiest way to “cleanse” yourself of that is by connecting to your own center of wisdom and peace. Axe comments:
“I feel like going through this COVID pandemic, there were a lot of people that were asleep. Most haven't woken up, but a lot more have. I think a lot more people are aware now because they tried to force things on us in such a strong way.
Carl Jung, the famous psychologist said, ‘Most people don't think [because] it's hard.’ That's why most people don't do it. One of the things that you've really inspired so many people to do is be able to think. You were one of the first people I remember who said that a way to get to the truth is to ask why, again and again, to where you get to the root.
And so, one of the last questions I have for you is, how do you recommend people learn to think? How do you recommend they learn to start to get to the root of the issues like you have done? Because again, you've really been able to do this, to get to the root of the problems earlier than many people.”
That’s a great question that doesn’t have a simple answer. I do believe it goes back to the basics though. You must have sufficient energy production to think. If your energy production is low, your brain is not going to work well, and your logical faculties will be impaired.
Covering the Basics Will Take You Far
You need energy, and you get it from whole, unadulterated foods, you get it by avoiding LA, which is a mitochondrial poison. You get it from sun exposure and making sure you have enough healthy carbs in your diet.
As your energy production improves, your brain function will improve, and the door to greater consciousness will also crack open, which is like gaining a superpower. Because you’ll have access to information that isn’t necessarily based on logic, but on an inner knowing that defies explanation.
You’ll just “know” what is right for you. So, in a sense, your need for regular logical “thinking” lessens, leaving your brain with more energy for more creative pursuits instead.
Connecting with Spirit is also the best shield against fear-based narratives, because your Spirit and your guides know how to protect and guide you. That’s who you need to really listen to. Avoid brainwashing propaganda and connect to valid sources of truth and wisdom, and then follow your own internal guidance. You have an innate intelligence. You just need to activate it, and you do that by optimizing your biology.
So, that's the first step. You have to have fuel in the tank. Other common-sense strategies that will improve your thinking skills include things like walking every day, getting plenty of sun exposure and enough sleep. None of this is rocket science. Just give your body what it needs, and it will take care of itself.
In closing, you can find more interviews by Axe on the Ancient Health Podcast, available on several different platforms, including Apple podcasts and Spotify. You can also learn more on his website, draxe.com.
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Mission Be — Teaching Children Mindfulness
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published December 24, 2023.
In this video, I interview Carin Winter, founder and CEO of Mission Be, a nonprofit organization that brings mindfulness into schools. Mission Be was created in 2013, while Winter was a social worker at Islip High School. By then, she'd been working with adolescents for 14 years, both in the foster care system and in school settings.
"I worked at Islip for about a decade, and I saw that a lot of our students were really dysregulated, they had an inability to manage their stress," she says. "They had a lot of anxiety, depression and substance abuse. We had an epidemic of heroin go through our school. It was shocking and devastating and we needed a solution.
As a school social worker, I would see around 120 students a year, and there were 1,200 students in the building. So about 10% of them were getting social work counseling from me and 10% from another social worker. The other 80% weren't really getting any mental health support, unless they were getting it outside of the building.
Also, we were implementing curriculum through the health classes, and our district did the best to bring in good curriculum, but I just wasn't personally satisfied with it. I didn't think that we were teaching the children the skills to self-regulate. So I started a pilot in our high school.
It was voluntary and 56% of our students signed up voluntarily to participate in this program as an alternative to phys ed twice a week for eight weeks. We collected some data at the end and it was phenomenal. The students loved the program. They had reductions in stress, reductions in anxiety, and they really enjoyed themselves.
So, after launching that pilot, I started working with the elementary schools in my district, although I was not assigned to them ... One of my friends was a teacher in an elementary school and she said, ‘My kids are so stressed, you have to come help me out.' So I went over there for a few Fridays in a row and within a month I had 17 requests from elementary school teachers to go in their classrooms.
At the time I owned a yoga studio as a side hustle because educators don't make a lot of money. I recruited about seven yoga teachers that were stay-at-home moms and/or had degrees in social work, psychology and education, and they assisted me in building out this curriculum. We went in once a week for eight weeks to these 17 classrooms, and at the end, we had 500 students quietly meditating in the field.
It was unbelievable. It was the most moving day of my life. It was life-changing. And I knew that that's what I wanted to do rather than stay as a school social worker ... We have two separate curriculums, one for middle and high school, and another one for elementary, and within each curriculum it's tiered for academic learning."
Where Mission Be Is Today
As the program grew, Winter decided to take a sabbatical from her social work at Islip. She moved to Silicon Valley for a summer, where she got a crash course on how to start a nonprofit.
Over the next six years, she worked with some of the highest performing schools in Silicon Valley, and some of the lowest performing schools in the Bay Area. In 2023, Mission Be serviced 26 schools in New York and 10 schools in California, providing mindfulness training once a week for several weeks.
Mission Be's Curriculum
Mission Be's curriculum is based on evidence-based practices like breath, movement, visualizations, affirmations, sharing circles and silent seated meditation. Each class is 40 minutes. Typically, the class begins with four to five minutes of gentle stretching, followed by a two- to five-minute guided mindfulness practice, depending on the age of the students.
After that, they do a standing circle share, where students are encouraged to share how they're feeling, something they're grateful for, or something they love about themselves. Next, the topic of the day's class is introduced. For example, if the topic is gratitude, the concept will be explained, and the science behind it is reviewed in whatever way is age-appropriate.
Then, the students engage in an activity relating to the day's topic. So, for the topic of gratitude, for example, each student will share something they're grateful for. Art activities are also incorporated. The class ends with a visualization practice and an affirmation. If time allows, they may also play a team-building game before the session ends.
Seeing how many children are also nature-deprived, some classes, or some parts of the classes, are done outdoors. They might take a barefoot mindfulness walk or hug a tree. Winter continues:
"Then, they sit down and find something loose in nature, whether it's a blade of grass or a leaf. We sit in a circle and everyone describes, kind of like show and tell, ‘this is what I got.' And we look at how the leaf is similar to our palm and really give the children a time to integrate and engage in nature. We have about 12 different topics.
Lesson 1 is about neuroscience. So, we teach the children about the amygdala ... the alarm center of the brain. So I tell the students, ‘If you see a tiger in the jungle, your amygdala is going to go off and you're going to run and hopefully escape this tiger.' But there are no tigers hanging around Islip New York. So there's the paper tiger, right?
There are state tests, there are deadlines, there's homework. Sometimes our amygdala goes off because we have to stand up and speak in front of the class, and that can cause fear.
So we can take a deep breath and calm the amygdala. When we do that, it allows our prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher order cognitive functioning and information processing, and our hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, to function better.
And so the children, even in kindergarten, learn the word amygdala ... And as they get older, we teach them a little bit more neuroscience, we teach them about the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. When you're stressed, you're in a sympathetic state.
When you're not stressed, you're in a parasympathetic state, and mindfulness is a practice that, the more frequently we practice these breaths, the more we're able to self-regulate, calm down, focus and relax.
Even kindergartners want to know, why are we doing this? They're fascinated by the neuroscience piece of it. And the neuroscience piece is an important piece for even a young child to understand.
In lesson 2, we teach them about digital detox, which is part of meditation. Our phones are very disruptive ... We don't just lecture them. We talk about the way technology affects us and how it affects our sleep, how it affects our levels of empathy towards one another, how only 2% of people can actually multitask ...
All the data that shows the importance of being present, of making eye contact ... We teach about compassion and empathy and vulnerability ... At the end of the 12 weeks, they learn how to be altruistic."
Your Health Affects Your Consciousness
An important side note here is that, when you optimize your biology, you radically improve your level of consciousness. People who are not healthy have a decreased ability to do this. This, I believe, is one of the reasons we're seeing this devolution in the youth of this country, because their health is undermined in so many ways.
So, when it comes to expanding your consciousness, optimizing your health is really agenda item No. 1. Obviously, this is not within the scope of Winter's work, but I want to mention it because it's important to understand.
Winter has seen this at work as well. Children living in group homes are fed by the state, and the food is just terrible. On top of that, most can end up on multiple psychiatric drugs. She saw good results when teaching mindfulness in group homes, but there's no doubt effects are optimized when the children are fed a good wholesome diet.
Play Is a Meditative State of Expanded Consciousness
Ideally, meditation is connecting to an expanded state of consciousness. The good news is, the types of mindfulness practices taught by Winter can, eventually, result in being able to maintain a meditative state for most of the day, regardless of where you are or what you're doing.
It's also important to recognize that play is a meditative state. The purpose of meditation is to get into this timeless moment where you're not connected to time, where your mind is not focused on the past and the future. Time basically vanishes and you're just in the present moment.
Play automatically puts us in the present moment, which is the very definition of mindfulness. Of course, playing is also fun, and it's near-impossible to be stressed and have fun at the same time. So, in many cases, what children need the most is time to play; to get lost in the "now."
Children who are taught and encouraged to maintain a playful attitude can basically learn to remain in a meditative state for most of the day. We can also learn to do this as adults. "Play" doesn't mean running around and being rambunctious. It's also a joyful creative state.
So, when you're creating, you're playing, you're in a mindful state, and in a higher state of consciousness. That, in turn, creates a positive feedback loop, in an expanded state of consciousness (sometimes referred to as "being in the zone") that allows you to "tap into" or "download" new ideas, some of which can turn out to be quite profitable.
Tapping Into the Divine
Meditation can also allow you to tap into the divine, or a state of unconditional love. Winter shares the following story highlighting this:
"I had just started Mission Be. I was working in an elementary school ... and we did a meditation and talked about Mr. Miyagi from ‘Karate Kid,' because they were reading the book, ‘Karate Kid.' I talked about Mr. Miyagi and how he's embodied. He's a small dude, but he can chop through concrete. The power of his mind connected with the strength of his body ...
From that discussion we did a meditation. I said, ‘I want you to envision someone there with you in your meditation that you love and admire and look up to.' I was playing Enya and all the children had their eyes closed. All of a sudden I felt this sense of divine grace in the room.
I looked around and four of the 20 kids had tears rolling down their faces. Not like sobbing, like an adult would have, but just rolling down their face. I looked at the teacher and she had tears. And I'm just saying, ‘Imagine you're on a beautiful beach. You're there with someone you love and care about, a mentor, teacher, someone you trust, and imagine that they're sending you unconditional love.'
When we opened our eyes, this little girl raised her hand and said, ‘Ms. Winter, I felt my uncle that died.' And this other girl goes, ‘I felt my grandpa.' And then this boy goes, ‘I saw God's face' ...
So it was fascinating. I was so moved by that moment. I said, this supersedes psychology. They're tuning into a higher force. They're tuning into God and the angels. It was so beautiful, and I didn't initiate that. It just happened, and I felt that grace come through.
So, that's the type of consciousness we're opening up to. And I think that children have an innate ability to be intuitive. They have very powerful gut instincts. Their prefrontal cortex is still developing until they're 25, but their gut instinct is probably stronger than ours."
How Mindfulness Impacts Your Mental Health
A woman at Stanford University wrote her undergraduate senior thesis on the Mission Be program. Data collection reveals the program results in radical improvements in mood.
In one small cohort study of 26 children, 22 began the program in a negative state, feeling frustrated, angry or upset. By the end of the 12-week program, only one still felt unhappy, two felt "OK," and the 23 remaining were in a positive emotional state.
"Social-emotional learning has to be an integrative part of the curriculum," Winter says. "If we want to improve well-being, consciousness, social and emotional health and mental health, really, it has to be taught to the student ...
I think our children, just in general, need more joy. Also, children have so many mirroring neurons. They have around twice as many mirroring neurons that [adults] have, so they learn from our behavior. So, if a teacher is dysregulated, they're going to pick up on that and they're going to be dysregulated.
The parents are fearful. During the pandemic, a lot of people were in fear and anxiety, and our children felt that. And so, that's why it's so important to regulate your own stress.
Forget about teaching mindfulness to your kids. Spend a year just learning it yourself ... Because a dysregulated parent is going to mean a dysregulated child, because they're picking up on their parents' emotional state and well-being."
Training for Teachers
The same goes for teachers, which is why Mission Be also offers training for teachers. Winter explains:
"The No. 1 thing you can do to teach mindfulness to children is just to learn it yourself, because they're going to mirror you. So, we train teachers. We have [three] models. One model is we go into schools and teach once a week, for anywhere from four to 32 weeks.
The second model is we do online training for teachers. Anyone who's watching this, I can give them a 50% off coupon. It's typically $225 for a six-week course and the discount would make it $112. We teach them all 12 lessons, and we give them videos and they get short practices alongside of that.
The other thing is, we just opened our first Mission Be office, and we've been in business for 10 years, right in Islip, New York, and we do mindful one-on-ones with families, parents, teachers — anyone who needs it, any member of the community. So those are our three models. And then we have online recordings that folks can access nationally and internationally for free on how to teach simple meditation practices."
Most of Mission Be's work is currently being done on Long Island in Suffolk and Nassau County, New York, as well as Silicon Valley, San Mateo and Santa Clara County, but they've done trainings all over the country. "Anyone who wants us to come help them, we're there," she says.
How to Support Mission Be
You can support Mission Be either by making a tax-deductible donation, which Mission Be would be so very grateful for and truly appreciates! Mission Be is a small charity doing mighty work and every donation is deeply meaningful and impactful. Mission Be is also seeking volunteers, so click here to sign up as a volunteer. Or, send an email to ceo@missionbe.org. Please include your resume with a cover letter.
For more information, check out Mission Be's website at missionbe.org, or follow them on Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
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Fluoride Could Be Putting Your Fetus' Neurological Development at Risk
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Water fluoridation may be one of the most non-essential1 health practices forced onto the public. Under the guise of improving dental health, many of us are now aware of the dangers of fluoride, as it acts as an endocrine disruptor,2 and can impair learning and memory.3
Now, published research suggests that water fluoridation can affect children's health even while they're still in the womb. For pregnant mothers or new parents, this is crucial information you need to know, as fluoride can drastically impact your child's development.
Study Reveals Alarming Findings on Fluoride's Effects on Children's Behavior
The featured study,4,5 published in the JAMA Network Open, investigated the potential effects of fluoride during prenatal development. The study involved 229 pregnant women (plus their unborn children), mostly Hispanic and from low-income communities living in Los Angeles, California. According to The New York Times:
"The authors of the study … believe it is the first to examine links between prenatal fluoride exposure and child development among families living in the United States, where fluoride is often added to community water supplies to prevent dental cavities."
During their third trimester, the mothers' urine samples were collected and analyzed to detect their fluoride levels.6 Once their children turned 3 years old, the children's intelligence were evaluated on factors such as attention problems, emotional reactions and aggressive behavior. Their likelihood of developing anxiety problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were also evaluated.
After statistical analysis was complete, researchers observed that children whose mothers had higher levels of fluoride in their urine were 1.83 times more likely to develop neurodevelopmental problems. Specifically, the inability to regulate emotions and increased risk of ASD were associated with higher exposure of fluoridated water. The researchers concluded:7
"In this prospective cohort study of mother-child pairs in Los Angeles, California, prenatal fluoride exposure was associated with increased neurobehavioral problems. These findings suggest that there may be a need to establish recommendations for limiting fluoride exposure during the prenatal period."
Fluoride Intake Could Have a Downstream Effect on Children
The authors of the JAMA Network Open study contend that their research is the first one in the U.S. to review the effects of fluoride on child neurobehavior.8 However, that's not all that fluoride can do to children. What happens when they're exposed to fluoride as they grow up?
In an earlier study9 published in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found a correlation between fluoride exposure in utero and subsequent reductions in cognitive function in children at the ages of 4 and 6 years through 12.
The participants were mother-child pairs from Mexico, whose main source of fluoride was fluoridated salt10 (as Mexico does not have a water fluoridation program).11 The mothers' urine samples were collected every trimester to serve as baseline reference once their children had grown.
For the first test group (children aged 4), neurocognitive areas such as general cognition, motor skills, memory and numerical abilities in children were evaluated. For the second test group (children aged 6 to 12), areas such as vocabulary and abstract reasoning were evaluated.
Throughout the follow-up visits, the children were evaluated by a psychologist who wasn't informed about their fluoride exposure, and what the researchers found was nothing short of shocking. According to their observations,12 each 0.5 mg/L increase in fluoride over 0.8/L in the mother's urine was associated with a 2.5-point reduction in IQ, and a 3.15-point reduction in general cognitive scores in the child.
What Will It Take to Convince Doctors About the Dangers?
This is just the tip of the iceberg of fluoride's effects on children. The Fluoride Action Network (FAN) has prepared an enormous summary of 78 studies investigating the effect of fluoride on IQ in children, which can be found on their website.13 I recommend you take your time going through each of the studies, as it highlights just how dangerous this ubiquitous toxin is for public health.
But it's not just children who are in danger of water fluoridation, as adults can be affected, too. According to a study published in Environmental Geochemistry and Health,14 fluoridated water can have a toxic effect on skeletal health, specifically knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Researchers noted:
"In conclusion, excessive fluoride dose in drinking water could increase the risk of KOA. Especially, the population with aged <60, male and obesity more likely to having KOA when they're exposed to the same higher fluoride."
Just how does fluoride cause knee osteoarthritis? This same question was investigated in a 2001 study,15 which involved participants diagnosed with endemic fluorosis. Radiological testing showed that fluoride predominantly caused osteophytes (bone spurs) in the knee joints.16 Bone spurs form when your body tries to repair skeletal damage. As they continue growing, they can press on nerves and other body parts, causing pain during movement.17
Dental fluorosis is another concern for adults. It's characterized by white or brown spots on your teeth, which range from tiny flecks to clearly visible spots. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic believes dental fluorosis is quite common, affecting 1 in 4 Americans between the ages of 6 and 49.18 If you notice these spots on your teeth, most likely you've been highly exposed to fluoridated water since you were young.
With this breadth of published evidence, more doctors should be convinced, and even campaign, against water fluoridation. However, many are still brushing off the findings. In the featured NYT article,19 the American Dental Association is still standing by with their recommendation to "brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and drink optimally fluoridated water."
If you're pregnant (or already breastfeeding) and your doctor says that you shouldn't worry about fluoridated water, it would be wise to look for a new one dedicated to protecting your health.
Is Your Local Water Supply Fluoridated?
Clearly, not putting fluoride in our water supply in the first place is the best way to avoid this toxin. To help the public with this monumental task, FAN has taken the mantle, raising awareness about the dangers of water fluoridation. In fact, FAN intends to go the whole way. They've gone to court under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, with the intention of ending this outdated public health practice throughout the U.S.20
For additional information about the fluoridation levels in your water supply, the NYT recommends contacting your local water utility contractor, as well as visiting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) "My Water's Fluoride" website.21
If you find that your local area's water supply is still being fluoridated, investing in a filtration system for your home is the next best course of action. This is especially important if you're currently pregnant or breastfeeding a toddler.
Filtering Your Water Is Your Best Protection Against Fluoride
According to FAN,22 water-filtering systems capable of removing fluoride include reverse osmosis, deionizers and activated alumina absorption media. Distillation, while not a form of filtration, will also remove fluoride. Carbon filters such as PUR and Brita cannot filter out fluoride, and neither can water softeners.
Unless you can personally verify the purity of your water, I recommend you invest in a high-quality, whole-house water filtration system. Ideally, filtration should occur both at the point of entry and end where water comes out. This means filtering the water coming in from the main pipe, then filtering again at exit points, such as the shower and kitchen sink. Once you have a filtration system in place, I recommend only using this water when making infant formula.
Each filtration method has benefits and drawbacks, so it's important to choose the correct one that fits your budget. Here are the most common options:
• Reverse osmosis (RO) — This filtration system can remove 80% of fluoride and disinfection byproducts, as well as chlorine, inorganic and organic contaminants in your water. However, the main drawback to RO systems is the need for frequent cleaning to avoid bacterial growth.
Your best alternative is to use a tankless RO system with a compressor. Consider the expense as well because you may need the assistance of a plumber to set up the entire system. RO will also remove many valuable minerals and trace elements, along with the harmful contaminants already mentioned.
• Ion exchange — The philosophy behind this design is to remove dissolved salts in the water, such as calcium. Ion exchange filters also soften the water, which help prevent scale buildup. Originally, this system was used in boilers and other industrial applications before becoming popular for domestic use, and it's usually combined with carbon for better results.
While an ion exchange system has a high flow rate and low maintenance cost, an article from Sciencing23 points out the disadvantages, which include "calcium sulfate fouling, iron fouling, adsorption of organic matter, organic contamination from the resin, bacterial contamination and chlorine contamination."
• Granular-activated carbon filters — You may be familiar with these filters, as these are the most common types of countertop and undercounter systems available. Granular-activated carbon is made from organic carbon filtration materials, such as coconut shells, coal or wood. This allows the filters to remove organic contaminants and chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and chlorine.24
Granular-activated carbon is also recognized by the EPA as the best option for removing synthetic organic materials, which virtually include all pesticides.25 Other toxic substances it can filter include fuel, naphthalene and benzoic acid.26 One of its disadvantages is that carbon can only remove trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide. Furthermore, the filters require periodic replacement when taste and odor problems appear.27
If you can combine a granular-activated carbon filter with bone char, the results may be even better. In a study28 published in Membranes, researchers noted that combining the two systems had "100% fluoride removal efficiency."
The Importance of Using Filtered Water for Infants
Dental fluorosis is also a worrying concern for infants because it can begin well before their teeth begin to show. According to research29 published in Paediatrics and Child Health, toddlers aged 15 to 24 months are at greatest risk, particularly their secondary teeth. Once fluorosis sets in, symptoms include pitted teeth and enamel striations.
To protect your child's health, breastfeeding is still the best way to nourish them as it contains very little, if any, fluoride. However, if breastfeeding is not an option and you have to opt for infant formula, remember to prepare it with filtered, non-fluoridated water.
Avoid Another Leading Source of Fluoride — Toothpaste
In a review30 from the National Academies Press, toothpaste and other fluoride-containing dental products are a major source of fluoride exposure. Thus, it would be wise to avoid these products, and take your time researching for non-fluoridated varieties.
Remember to check for other toxic ingredients found in mass-produced toothpaste as well, such as triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, diethanolamine, parabens and microbeads.
To minimize your fluoride exposure further, consider making your own toothpaste, which is easily done and inexpensive, too. You can make a simple toothpaste at home by combining a couple tablespoons of organic coconut oil and baking soda with a pinch of Himalayan salt. Adding a tiny amount of peppermint essential oil will give your homemade toothpaste that minty aroma most people are familiar with.
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Rewiring the Brain: The Promise and Peril of Neuroplasticity
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In the video "Rewiring the Brain: The Promise and Peril of Neuroplasticity,” Brian Greene, a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, interviews experts in the field of neuroplasticity about how human brain enhancement can help, and potentially harm, humanity.1
The panel includes neuroscientists Takao Hensch and John Krakauer, as well as entrepreneur Brett Wingeier, co-founder and CEO of Magnus Medical. They explore the potential of various tools, including pharmaceuticals, transcranial stimulation and even video games, to harness the brain's ability to rewire itself.
This capacity could potentially heal depression, reverse brain damage and enhance physical and cognitive abilities. However, there are important ethical considerations and potential risks of using such technologies to achieve superhuman enhancements.
Like Children, Adults May Benefit From Critical Windows of Brain Development
Hensch, who is a joint professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School at Children’s Hospital Boston, and professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard’s Center for Brain Science, has extensively researched the critical periods of brain development, particularly focusing on how these periods can be manipulated to promote neuroplasticity.
His work explores how early life experiences influence brain function, highlighting the role of specific inhibitory circuits in the brain that determine the timing of these critical periods.2 These circuits can act as a sort of "brake" to the rewiring processes in the brain, making them essential targets for interventions aimed at recovering from neurological disorders or enhancing brain functions.
Hensch's research has revealed that the brain's critical periods, previously thought to be fixed, are actually plastic and reversible. This insight has significant implications for therapeutic strategies, such as treating epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders.
His laboratory uses a combination of molecular, cellular and systems neuroscience to explore these mechanisms, aiming to establish how a balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals can be manipulated to reopen these critical windows later in life.
This could potentially allow for the recovery of function or the enhancement of cognitive abilities in adults, which were once only possible in childhood. Hensch says:3
“We've known about critical periods or the importance of critical periods, malleability of the brain changing across development, for centuries — from Aristotle to Montessori to the present day — and this comes from careful observation of infants and children and their ability to acquire new skills at an astonishing rate ...
There are probably myriad number of critical periods ... brain function translates to particular circuits that change, whether you're talking about vision or hearing or speaking ... each one of those could have a slightly staggered window of plasticity.
And, in fact, there is a sense of hierarchy that perhaps the primary sensory areas, the first filters to the outside world, are shaped earliest and perhaps most stringently, which then feeds into multi-sensory areas that integrate the different kinds of input and ultimately build up a complex cognitive machine like the adult brain.”
Can Critical Windows Be Reopened to Enhance Brain Function?
Scientists are now looking into how to reopen critical windows in the brain to enhance recovery from stroke, treat depression and even learn new skills. Dr. John Krakauer, director of the Center for the Study of Motor Learning and Brain Repair at Johns Hopkins, explained that even traumatic brain injury can serve as a sort of reset button that reopens brain plasticity:4
“You get most recovery from all sorts of brain injury early in animal models and in humans ... we did a very slightly freaky experiment in the mouse where we basically gave a mouse a stroke and then delayed its training, and it never really got back to normal behavior.
We found also that if you started the training very soon after the stroke — in other words you don't wait a week you wait just a day — then the efficacy of the training was much greater, to the point that you couldn't actually tell the difference between ... before and after the stroke.
Now the really freaky thing is if you did the original experiment and waited a week and then gave a second stroke — in other words you actually made the mouse worse — but you now didn't wait, you actually recovered completely from the first stroke. So, in other words, a very profound demonstration of being able to manipulate a critical period by injuring the brain.
In terms of why that should be the case, it seems to me it’s only sort of logical and parsimonious to imagine that there are repair mechanisms in the brain ... Just like you cut your skin, break a bone, damage neural tissue, there's going to be some repair process set in place that will have some overlap with the kind of processes going on during development.”
Wingeier’s company, Magnus Medical, is also attempting to rewire the brain, using a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation called intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS). This method applies magnetic pulses to the brain to influence neuronal activity, targeting specific brain regions that are involved in mood regulation, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
The goal is to modulate the neural circuits that contribute to depression, particularly in individuals who haven’t responded to other treatments. Research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry revealed that Magnus’ Stanford neuromodulation therapy, which was previously referred to as Stanford accelerated intelligent neuromodulation therapy, or SAINT, was useful for depression.5
In the double-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 79% of those who received the treatment entered remission from their depression compared to 13% in the placebo group.6 Wingeier explains that similar techniques could be used for other health conditions and even to enhance human performance:7
“I've spent about two decades building technology to stimulate and to enhance, to treat, the brain, mostly on the medical side. I've worked in epilepsy, done some work in Parkinson's disease, cluster headache and now, at Magnus Medical, in a new treatment for depression ... and on the plasticity and human performance side at a company called Halo Neuroscience.
The mechanisms behind plasticity are complex ... but there's this electrical component to brain activity and an electrical component to creating plasticity ... we think enhancing plasticity with neurostimulation — electrical nerve stimulation — whether it's pulses that are timed or waveforms that are geared to interact with this underlying brain activity, it's possible to modulate plasticity.”
Rewiring the Brain Gets Adults Closer to Perfect Pitch
Perfect pitch, also known as absolute pitch, is typically acquired in early life, and there is evidence suggesting that the development of this ability is strongly linked to early musical training. While it’s typically believed that once this critical period is over, the ability to learn perfect pitch is lost, Hensch’s research shows the use of histone-deacetylase inhibitors (HDAC inhibitors) may reopen the critical period of learning for absolute pitch.8
The study found adult men who took the HDAC inhibitor valproate (VPA) learned to identify pitch significantly better than those taking a placebo. The implication is that one day drugs could become commonplace for those looking to learn something new, such as another language or playing a musical instrument.
“Certainly this possibility is out there,” Hensch says, “and I'm sure many college campuses are already dealing with this kind of situation.” He continues:9
“There is most recently in this category of thinking, the use of psychoactive drugs as a way to reopen critical periods. There was a very nice study from Hopkins, in fact, that published evidence of a social critical period in rodents and that this window could be reopened by the drug MDMA, or ecstasy.
This is not to advocate rampant drug use but it's to show a proof of principle that with a very well-measured hypothesis-driven approach we might be able to tap the neuromodulatory systems that are dampened with age through this enhancement. But that alone is not going to produce plastic change. It requires the training to go with it.”
Krakauer and his team at Johns Hopkins, meanwhile, is exploring neuroplasticity enhancement via immersive environments like video games. By learning to control the movements of a dolphin, for instance, stroke patients may experience better recovery.
The idea behind the game is to create an enjoyable and immersive environment that motivates patients to perform repetitive movements, which are crucial for recovery but can often be tedious. By simulating the control of a dolphin, the game engages patients in a way that traditional physical therapy might not.
This type of gamified therapy can potentially make the rehabilitation process more appealing and effective, helping patients regain motor functions more quickly. In fact, research suggests the simulator may be twice as effective as conventional rehabilitation for stroke patients.10
"If you just see yourself trying to open a cupboard or lift up a cup you are going to try to do it the way you used to do it and you are going to get depressed when you can't," Krakauer told Sky News.
"We are putting you in an environment that can't be compared to anything you have ever done, and so you are free to explore and free to feel good. You want an alternative reality where you don't think about your limitations."11 Such games are also being explored to enhance well-being in adults aged 65 and older.12
Warning Flags Raised in the Quest to Build a More Perfect Human
While the potential to reopen critical learning windows and enhance recovery from brain injury or cognitive abilities in humans is exciting, it also raises multiple red flags. The brain's development and learning pathways are highly complex. Artificially manipulating these pathways might lead to unintended consequences, including abnormal brain development or function or increased risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.
The ability to enhance cognitive abilities through neuroplasticity raises ethical questions about fairness, accessibility and potential misuse. Frequent reliance on technological interventions to enhance brain function might also lead individuals to depend excessively on external aids, potentially diminishing the brain’s natural ability to cope with challenges and adapt through intrinsic mechanisms.
Not to mention, altering a person’s cognitive or sensory abilities could have profound psychological impacts, including changes in personal identity or self-perception. “I'm reminded of a quote by Charles Baudelaire, a French poet who once said genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recovered at will,” Hensch says, continuing:13
“Trying to refine that child-like state, many artists have talked about this as well, but I think the key in that quote is ‘at will’ and the ability to do it in a regulated way ... [as for] what the risks might be ... we've all gone through critical periods shaping who we are.
Our identities are formed in childhood and our experiences, our cultural background, the languages we speak, the skills we have — if we were to actually be able to reverse all of that, wouldn't we lose our self?”
Krakauer also worries about the race to extend such technologies beyond medical uses and into the consumer space, well before the full ramifications are understood:14
“I am extremely worried about a particular West Coast techno-utopianism that America suffers from where basically the technological tale wags the biological dog. And the real interest is to try and sell and to try and make money by making people think they're going to be bionic or they're going to be like the Matrix ... I think that we have to be super careful and spend a lot more time doing the trials and the science.
Yes, when there are diseases which are really refractory to drugs, like depression, and the spinal cord injury — spinal cord stimulation is doing amazing things for walking — yes, I'm all for that.
But I am just in general very concerned about the premature jump to consumerism and also the bad faith of claiming that you're doing this for medicine, but really what you're desperately trying to do is get the consumer version right and that is a trend that I am very concerned about.”
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Is It Time to Dump Your Toothpaste?
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published June 14, 2017.
Over the course of your lifetime you'll produce 10,000 gallons of spit that your body uses to initiate digestion, neutralize acid in your mouth and help fight germs that produce bad breath.1 If you floss each day, you'll go through approximately 5 miles of floss over your lifetime and will use 20 gallons of toothpaste. If you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes, you'll spend 24 hours brushing each year.
Even though you don't swallow your toothpaste (and shouldn't!), it all happens in an area of your body used as a drug delivery system when a rapid onset of action from medication is desired,2 with a permeability four to 4,000 times greater than your skin.3 The wide range is due to the different permeability in the different regions in your mouth. Thus, any chemical you place in your mouth, despite the fact you don't swallow, may be absorbed directly into your bloodstream.
With this in mind, it's worth considering what you and your children are placing in your mouth on a daily basis. Unfortunately, as toothpaste falls under the category of cosmetics,4 manufacturers are left largely to regulate their own products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In the coming months, triclosan, an antibacterial chemical, will be removed from consumer hand washes in response to an overwhelming database of research demonstrating health risks. However, it will (illogically) still remain in toothpaste, especially those toothpastes designed for use in children.
Triclosan Remains in Children's Toothpaste Despite Risk
A 2017 study demonstrated how quickly blood levels of triclosan may rise in small children exposed to the chemical in toothpaste and hand soap.5 This is one of the first studies to show how triclosan invades the bodies of young children through environmental exposure. Senior study author Joe Braun, assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University, explained the impetus behind the study:6
"There's very little data on the exposure in those first years of life. There are a lot of behavioral changes in those years, and environmental chemicals can play a role."
Braun and his colleagues tested 389 women and children from Cincinnati between pregnancy and until the children were 8 years old. They collected urine three times during the pregnancy and periodically between the children's first and eighth year. They found triclosan in more than 70% of the samples.
Interestingly, by age 8 they found children who used the most hand soap had 66% more triclosan in their body, and those who washed their hands more than five times a day had four times more chemical than those who reported washing their hands once or less per day.7
Children who brushed their teeth with toothpaste in the past 24 hours had 2.5 times more triclosan than those who had not used toothpaste. Isaac Pessah, Ph.D., researcher at the University of California, who was not involved in the study, commented:
"It's a thorough, well-done analysis. Given the high concentrations [of triclosan] in personal care products, you're seeing that the concentrations in the end user are also quite high."
Triclosan in More Than Toothpaste and Hand Soap
Despite the fact that U.S. manufacturers must phase out triclosan after the FDA banned it and several other chemicals from use in hand soap after concerns were made public that it disrupted the body's hormonal system, triclosan remains in other personal care products.
Triclosan is a broad spectrum antibacterial compound with high solubility that works by affecting a protein reductase enzyme essential for bacterial fatty acid synthesis.8 As it is a potent, effective and inexpensive chemical, triclosan may be found in a number of commercial and personal care products, including:9
Soaps |
Hand washes |
Dishwashing products |
Laundry detergents and softeners |
Toothpaste and mouth washes |
Deodorants and antiperspirants |
Plastics |
Hair conditioners |
Bedding |
Cosmetics and shaving creams |
Acne treatment products |
Apparel, such as socks and undershirts |
Trash bags |
Impregnated sponges |
Surgical scrubs |
Hot tubs, plastic lawn furniture |
Implanted medical devices |
Pesticides |
Why Was Triclosan Used in Colgate Toothpaste?
Research suggests triclosan is effective against tooth decay, but not against periodontitis, plaque or gingivitis.10 Some even believe there is a role for the chemical in protecting oral health.11 However, while the chemical is highly effective against oral bacteria, so is chlorine bleach12 — but you wouldn't dream of brushing your teeth with it.
Colgate used to add triclosan in its toothpaste to "fight harmful plaque germs,"13 but as of 2019, has stopped using it after consumers have raised concerns regarding the ingredient’s safety. On its website, Colgate makes this statement:14
"Triclosan is an antibacterial ingredient used in personal care and home care products to reduce or prevent bacterial contamination and in toothpaste, where it is proven to reduce the germs that can cause gum disease.
Some consumers and regulatory bodies have questions about triclosan, and so, beginning in 2015, we reformulated our antibacterial dish liquid and hand soaps with alternate active ingredients that provide the same or superior performance.
Starting late in 2018, we introduced a new Colgate Total toothpaste that delivers more benefits than the original formula with triclosan, and as of January 2019 we no longer use it as an ingredient."
Hormone Disruption and Gut Health at Stake
A number of studies have led to understanding how triclosan functions as an endocrine disruptor. In this short news video, Dr. Gary Cohan describes how triclosan may impact a man's sex drive. Studies have demonstrated thyroid hormone disruption in rats and frogs, as well as disrupted thyroid hormone-associated gene expression.15
Exposure to triclosan has become so commonplace that it is showing up in urine, blood and breast milk of people around the world. Even those who don't use products with triclosan are exposed to it in their food, water supply and even household dust.16
Triclosan has both estrogenic (female hormone) and androgenic (male hormone) properties, which may lead to the development of breast cancer.17 Exposure to triclosan may elevate calcium levels in the cells that may potentially affect neurodevelopment and neurological functioning,18 and impair mitochondrial function.19
After exposure to sunlight, or interaction with chlorine in tap water, breakdown products of triclosan include a list of dangerous chemicals, such as chloroform, 2,8-Dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and 2,4-dichlorophenol, an endocrine disruptor and U.S. EPA priority pollutant.20 However, the damage to your body does not end with your endocrine system.
A small study from Stanford University found while triclosan was killing bacteria in your mouth, it may also be slowly breeding superbugs in your intestinal tract.21
Preliminary data from this study fall in line with information from others that demonstrate triclosan may cause subtle disruption in your gut microbiome, integral to your immune system and your overall health.22 The researchers collected stool samples over a one-year period, finding subtle differences in the bacterial communities of those using toothpaste with triclosan.
Many of the bacteria from the group Proteobacteria that grew in the gut of those using triclosan are known to become broadly resistant to antibiotics and are linked to dysbiosis, or an imbalance of gut microbiome.23 Although the study had limitations, the researchers found an increase in an antibiotic resistance gene that enables bacteria to resist penicillin and other similar drugs.
Other Questionable Toothpaste Ingredients
While triclosan is not found in all commercial toothpastes, your toothpaste likely contains other toxins known to be endocrine disruptors, or to increase inflammation or have carcinogenic activity. According to the Cornucopia Institute's report, "Behind the Dazzling Smile,"24 the average woman uses 12 personal care products with 168 different chemicals and the average man uses six products with 85 different ingredients.
A common ingredient found in dental products and your tap water is fluoride, a known endocrine disruptor, neurotoxin and bone weakening substance the FDA classifies as a drug when used to prevent disease, such as cavities. Humans have no known physiological requirement for fluoride.
More information about this drug intentionally added to your tap water may be found in a previous article by Michael Connett, attorney for the Fluoride Action Network. Other chemicals and additives commonly found in toothpaste may include:
Carrageenan — A thickening agent suspected of being a carcinogen, it is linked to intestinal inflammation. |
Artificial colors and flavors — Some have been linked to hyperactivity, behavioral problems, cancer and allergic reactions. |
Sweeteners — Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are often added. Aspartame metabolizes in your body to formaldehyde and has been linked to birth defects, cancer and weight gain. |
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) — SLS interferes with the function of your taste buds, has been linked to the formation of canker sores and is registered as an insecticide. |
Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives — While formaldehyde is a prohibited ingredient as it is a known carcinogen, some preservatives work by slowly releasing formaldehyde. |
Parabens — These are endocrine-disrupting preservatives linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity. |
Propylene glycol — A type of mineral oil commonly found in paint and antifreeze, it easily penetrates skin and facilitates the absorption of other chemicals. |
Diethanolamine (DEA) — DEA is a hormone disruptor that reacts with other ingredients to form N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), that is easily absorbed and has been linked with cancers of the stomach, esophagus, liver and bladder. |
Brush Your Teeth With Safer Alternatives
Fortunately, there are safer alternatives, not all of which you have to make at home. Consider choosing from the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.25 While over-the-counter products are great for travel, you may enjoy using a homemade toothpaste that you can make with a few basic ingredients.
For example, combine a simple mixture of coconut oil and baking soda with a few drops of peppermint essential oil, adding enough baking soda to form a smooth consistency. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dry place.
Coconut oil may help inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, an acid-producing bacterium that is a cause of tooth decay, and peppermint oil extract has been shown to be superior to the mouthwash chemical chlorhexidine in inhibiting the formation of biofilm formations linked to dental cavities.26 Also remember that your diet is the foundation for strong, healthy teeth. Nutrients that are particularly important for oral health include:
- Vitamins C, D and K2
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Calcium
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Practice Makes Perfect — The Science of Memory Formation
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Memory plays a crucial role in learning, decision-making and shaping your identity. It’s a continuous process of absorbing information, retaining it and retrieving that knowledge to frame your understanding of and responses to the world around you.
The cognitive function that allows you to temporarily retain and process information for immediate tasks is called the working memory.1 For instance, during a conversation, your working memory acts like a mental notepad, allowing you to keep track of the information you’re receiving and use it in real-time.
In May 2024, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health presented a study in the journal Nature,2 which aimed to determine how training enhances the brain's capacity for working memory, revealing intriguing findings about the brain's capability.
How Are Memories Formed?
Memory formation is a complex process that begins with encoding. During this stage, the information captured by your sensory organs is sent to the corresponding sensory areas of the brain (visual cortex, auditory cortex, etc.), where it is processed and integrated with your existing knowledge and experiences.3
When you learn something new, your brain forms new connections called synapses between neurons. These connections create new circuits, essentially remapping your brain. The brain is a vast network of connections — each of its 100 billion nerve cells can form up to 10,000 connections with other nerve cells. These synapses get weaker or stronger depending on how much you’re exposed to particular information or activities.4
The hippocampus, located in the temporal lobe,5 plays an important role in memory formation. It organizes and integrates sensory information, transforming it into coherent memory traces.6 Attention during encoding helps the hippocampus focus on relevant information and filter out distractions.7
After encoding, the memory undergoes consolidation, stabilizing the newly formed memory trace.8 This involves two main stages — synaptic consolidation and systems consolidation. During synaptic consolidation, which occurs shortly after learning, the connections between synapses are strengthened,9 primarily through a process called long-term potentiation.10
Systems consolidation happens over a more extended period, gradually transferring the memory trace from the hippocampus to the neocortex. This transition from short-term to long-term storage is part of the consolidation process, making memories more stable and less dependent on the hippocampus.11
The final stage of memory formation is retrieval, wherein stored information is accessed and brought into conscious awareness when the memory is triggered. The prefrontal cortex coordinates this process, while the hippocampus helps access the relevant memory traces stored in the neocortex.12
Interestingly, each time a memory is retrieved, it can be modified before being stored again, a process known as reconsolidation.13 This allows memories to be updated with new information but also makes them susceptible to changes and distortions.
How Practice Cements Memory Formation
In the featured UCLA Health study,14 researchers focused on understanding how consistent practice influences the overall capacity and efficiency of the brain’s working memory. To evaluate this, they trained mice to perform olfactory delayed-association tasks over two weeks.
During the tests, the mice were presented with odors A or B for one second. After a five-second delay, they were presented with odors C or D for another second. If the combination is A followed by C or B followed by D, the mice need to lick during a choice period, which is three seconds after being presented with the second odor, to get a reward. If they were presented with a different combination, they were taught to withhold licking.
After doing this repetitively for seven sessions, the mice learned to perform the task with an accuracy level of 94.2%. "Tracking M2 (secondary motor cortex) neuron activity over 10 days revealed that late-delay WM (working memory) representations, which are crucial for task performance, initially fluctuate in early expert stages but stabilize with continued practice in the late expert phase," the researchers observed.15
To put it simply, as the mice performed the task, their memory patterns began to "crystalize," becoming more stable and consistent with practice. Dr. Peyman Golshani, corresponding author and UCLA Health neurologist, likens this process to practicing a musical melody. As reported by Science Daily, Golshani notes:16
"If one imagines that each neuron in the brain is sounding a different note, the melody that the brain is generating when it is doing the task was changing from day to day, but then became more and more refined and similar as animals kept practicing the task."
He adds that these insights into the mechanisms of memory consolidation and the importance of consistent practice in cementing new skills and information in the brain "not only advances our understanding of learning and memory but also has implications for addressing memory-related disorders."17
How Indoctrination Efforts Sabotage Your Autobiographical Memory
While consistent practice and exposure to information can help enhance memory and learning, it’s important to recognize that not all influences on your memory can be positive. One prominent example of this is the indoctrination efforts that the world underwent during the pandemic.
In the video above, Dr. Michael Nehls,18 author of "The Indoctrinated Brain: How to Successfully Defend Your Mental Freedom,"19 discusses the neuroscientific aspects of how brain alterations can render individuals more vulnerable to negative external influences.
According to Nehls, there are two types of thinking systems — System 1 (nonthinking) and System 2 (thinking). Our brains operate in System 1 most of the time. System 2 is only activated through conscious effort, upon recognizing the need for critical thinking. If you don’t have enough mental energy to think, you’re not likely to activate System 2. Instead, you get stuck in System 1, putting you on autopilot and making you more likely to follow mass thoughts or movements.
The media and global leaders have engineered a vicious cycle that makes it easier for you to be stuck in this state and get indoctrinated. It starts with fearmongering, shifting goals and poor health advice. This induces chronic stress, which, coupled with key nutritional deficiencies, leads to consistently high stress hormone levels and poor energy production. Stress hormones also inhibit hippocampal neurogenesis, reducing mental resilience and increasing stress.
Ultimately, this downward spiral erodes your autobiographical memory, which plays an important role in your individuality. Autobiographical memories are stored in the hippocampus and are heavily influenced by emotional association (how you felt when something happened).
When something is associated with fear, you’re more likely to remember it — and this is what technocrats are using as a powerful tool. By hijacking your remaining index neurons and overwriting your autobiographical memories with fear-inducing propaganda narratives, they can take away your individuality and manipulate you easily.
How to Protect Your Hippocampus
The good news is you can reverse indoctrination and take back control of your memories by promoting the production of healthy new index neurons. Nehls suggests addressing these factors that influence hippocampal neurogenesis:
Purpose in life — According to Nehls, not having a sense of purpose in life increases your risk of developing hippocampal dementia, i.e. Alzheimer’s disease. |
Nutrition — For optimal hippocampal growth, make sure you have adequate levels of essential micronutrients. Among these, iodine and vitamin D are the most important. Maintaining a vitamin D level within the range of 40 to 60 ng/mL (100 to 150 nmol/L) will support your immune and neurological health. |
Social life — Loving relationships promote the release of oxytocin, a potent hippocampal growth factor. On the other hand, isolation and loneliness have a detrimental effect on hippocampal function. Companionship is also important because it provides the emotional experiences and conversations essential for the survival of hippocampal neurons. Without this new information, newly generated neurons will die off and their production will decline. |
Exercise — Exercise can help stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis. In his book,20 Nehls cites research showing that seniors who take a one-hour brisk walk every day can grow their hippocampus by 2% in a single year. For comparison, Alzheimer’s patients lose about 5% of their hippocampal volume per year.21 |
Sleep — Your hippocampus generates new neurons during sleep, when it's not actively gathering new experiences. Melatonin, known to stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis, may play a key role in this process. Nehls states that it typically takes around two weeks to restart neurogenesis after experiencing chronic sleep deprivation. |
Time — Trying to do more than what's manageable generates stress, which not only hinders neurogenesis but also promotes neurodegeneration. However, having too much free time can be detrimental as well, as the stimuli needed for neuron growth are absent. According to Nehls, the optimal state is eustress — "positive stress caused by challenging yet doable tasks." |
Optimize Your Mitochondrial Health to Boost Your Brainpower
In addition to Nehls’ recommendations, I recommend adopting the strategies below to boost your mitochondrial energy production, which will provide you with the energy needed to effectively engage your System 2 critical thinking skills.
• Limit your linoleic acid (LA) intake — LA severely impairs your mitochondrial function, compromising your ability to create cellular energy. Optimizing your mitochondrial energy production is crucial not only for a healthy body and mind but also for your intuition. The energy produced by your mitochondria is virtually identical to the energy that created the universe and undergirds physical reality.
So, once you optimize your mitochondrial energy production, you also swing the door open to your higher spiritual faculties where intuition, inner guidance and pure knowing reside. Once you’re connected to your inner knowing, no indoctrination attempt can succeed because you can "see" clearly, even when the truth is being hidden.
• Limit fats, eat healthy carbs in optimal amounts — When your fat intake exceeds about 35% of your daily calories, your body enters fat metabolism, which reduces mitochondrial efficiency by 25% to 50%. Eating optimal amounts of healthy carbs, such as fruits, raw honey and starches like white rice, will help optimize your mitochondrial glucose metabolism, resulting in higher energy production.
The paradox here is that you need good gut health to benefit from an optimal diet. If your gut health is impaired, eating fibrous fruits and starches will only feed the pathogenic bacteria in your gut. So, if your gut health is less than optimal, start by eliminating as much LA as possible (which is one of the primary destroyers of cellular energy production) and introduce healthy carbs slowly, starting with fruit juices.
Glucose metabolism also boosts the production of structured water (deuterium-depleted water) within the mitochondria and decreases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhancing overall mitochondrial function.
• Consider supplements for healthy metabolism — Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3), is essential for healthy metabolism, mitochondrial function and cellular energy production. For general support, I recommend taking 50 milligrams three times a day.
Niacinamide may also be useful in early Alzheimer’s treatment,22 especially when combined with methylene blue, as they work synergistically. Methylene blue by itself has also shown promise in inhibiting Alzheimer's progression.23
You can also consider using nootropics for cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection. For more information about nootropics, check out my article "5 Potent Nootropic Herbs to Supercharge Memory and Concentration."
• Reduce your serotonin levels — Often mistaken as the "happy hormone," serotonin actually acts as an antimetabolite, impairing mitochondrial energy production, which can lead to fatigue and a slowed metabolism. Studies have also linked elevated serotonin levels to dementia.24
One way to lower your serotonin is to increase GABA, which is available as a supplement, as GABA increases the degradation rate of serotonin. People who have high GABA levels usually have low serotonin, and vice-versa.
People with high GABA/low serotonin are typically calm and gregarious, whereas GABA deficiency and elevated serotonin is associated with anxiety, fear, depression, short temper, phobias, impulsiveness and disorganization.
Another important strategy is to address your gut health. When complex carbs that aren’t digested in your stomach travel down to your intestine, they end up feeding gram-negative bacteria that produce endotoxin, also known as LPS (lipopolysaccharide).
• Maintain low estrogen levels — Like serotonin, estrogen is also antimetabolic and will inhibit energy production. You can find tips to help lower your estrogen load here.
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How to Diagnose and Treat Osteoarthritis
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Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that affects 32.5 million U.S. adults.1 Worldwide, about 595 million people are living with the condition, a 132% increase since 1990.2
Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the knee joint is most frequently affected, followed by the hip and hand.3 While there's no known cure for osteoarthritis, it typically progresses slowly.
This means you can take steps to reduce further damage from the disease, like avoiding obesity and making collagen-rich bone broth. Scientists are also working on methods for early detection, which would allow treatment to begin before joint damage occurs.
Osteoarthritis Is Often Diagnosed After the Damage Is Done
Osteoarthritis is typically diagnosed based on a combination of clinical symptoms, physical examinations and diagnostic tests, including X-rays. Key symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
- Joint pain and tenderness — Affected joints may hurt during or after movement.
- Stiffness — Joint stiffness may be most noticeable upon waking up in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
- Loss of flexibility — There may be a loss of flexibility in the affected joint.
- Grating sensation — You might feel a grating sensation or hear a popping or crackling sound, when you use the joint.
- Bone spurs — These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint.
Your doctor will ask about any such symptoms and how long you've had them, as well as whether you've had past injuries or engage in activities that could contribute to joint damage. For instance, according to the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA):4
"Certain occupations (e.g., construction, healthcare, farming, law enforcement, first responders, military) involving prolonged standing, squatting, lifting, kneeling, and repetitive motion with resultant excessive mechanical stress on a joint, raises the risk of OA and can worsen symptoms.
Osteoarthritis and back pain are the most common diagnoses related to disability-caused separation from the military, both during periods of peacetime and war.
High impact professional sports (e.g., hockey, soccer, and football), where there is not only repetitive loading with excessive force, but also increased joint trauma puts players at risk of OA. In addition to elite-level athletes (soccer, long-distance running, weightlifting and wrestling), non-elite soccer athletes are also at risk of developing OA."
X-rays are commonly used to diagnose osteoarthritis, as they can reveal changes in joint structure. The problem is that by the time osteoarthritis is visible on an X-ray, the joint is already damaged. Research suggests, however, that earlier diagnosis may be possible.
Blood Biomarkers May Reveal Osteoarthritis Eight Years Before X-Rays Can
Researchers from Duke University conducted a study to find blood markers that could predict the development of knee osteoarthritis in women before any joint damage is visible on X-rays.5 In a group of 200 women, they found that just six specific blood proteins were able to indicate a 77% chance of developing OA, up to eight years before it could be seen on X-rays.
Predicting OA based on these blood markers was more accurate than using age, body mass index (BMI) or reports of knee pain, all of which showed much lower accuracy (51% for age and BMI, 57% for knee pain). The findings suggest that the joint tissue may already be undergoing changes long before OA is visible on an X-ray, hinting at an ongoing inflammatory process or "OA continuum."
Moreover, the majority of the blood proteins that indicated the potential onset of OA also suggested the possibility of OA getting worse. So, the early changes leading to OA and the worsening of OA once it's begun may share similar underlying processes.
"This tells us that there is an osteoarthritis continuum," lead study author Dr. Virginia Byers Kraus told The New York Times. "You're already on an escalator that's leading you up the path to symptoms and X-ray changes way before we thought."6 One day, a blood test may be used to diagnose osteoarthritis in its early stages, when treatment may be able to stop joint damage from occurring.
Osteoarthritis Is Caused by More Than Wear and Tear
Osteoarthritis is often described as a "wear and tear" disease because it typically involves the breakdown of joint cartilage due to repetitive use and load over time. However, the understanding of osteoarthritis has evolved, and it is now recognized as a more complex condition influenced by a combination of factors beyond just mechanical wear and tear.
While excessive or abnormal forces on your joints can accelerate the breakdown of cartilage, biomechanical imbalances that place uneven stresses on your joints can also contribute. Further, although osteoarthritis is not a traditional inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation does play a role. Chemicals in the joint can cause inflammation and damage to the cartilage and surrounding structures. According to OAAA:7
"Osteoarthritis is not simply caused by 'wear and tear' of the joint but is rather a complex disorder characterized by molecular, anatomic and physiologic changes. As such a complex disease, there are a variety of risk factors — both modifiable and non-modifiable — that contribute to its onset and progression, some of which can be mediated with appropriate management strategies."
There is growing evidence, for instance, linking metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — to an increased risk of osteoarthritis.8
Extra body weight also increases the stress on weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips, increasing osteoarthritis risk, but adipose (fat) tissue also produces inflammatory substances that may contribute to joint deterioration. In fact, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) defines osteoarthritis as:9
"A disorder involving movable joints characterized by cell stress and extracellular matrix degradation initiated by micro- and macro-injury that activates maladaptive repair responses including pro-inflammatory pathways of innate immunity.
The disease manifests first as a molecular derangement (abnormal joint tissue metabolism) followed by anatomic, and/or physiologic derangements (characterized by cartilage degradation, bone remodeling, osteophyte formation, joint inflammation and loss of normal joint function), that can culminate in illness."
Age is also a primary risk factor, as the cumulative effects of use on your joints are often compounded by an age-related decrease in the body's ability to heal and maintain tissue. Hormonal changes, particularly during menopause, also play a significant role in the development of osteoarthritis in women. Genetics may also predispose individuals to osteoarthritis, influencing the durability of cartilage and the body's repair mechanisms.
Is Osteoarthritis a Systemic Disease?
Growing recognition among medical professionals suggests osteoarthritis should be considered a systemic disease, not just a localized joint condition. Writing in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, one team of scientists proposed renaming the disease "systemic OA" to move away from the perception that it's focused solely on joints. They explained:10
"Its pathogenic mechanisms involve a variety of systemic conditions that contribute to joint damage. These include metabolic dysfunction, chronic low-grade inflammation, neuroplastic pain, and the influence of the central nervous system in the development of neuropathic pain.
Besides, OA can negatively affect other aspects of health, such as quality of life, reduced physical activity, social isolation, depression, and anxiety. OA can be considered a complex system in which pathological interactions involve not only obesity and metabolic dysfunction, but also fragility syndrome, sarcopenia, neurological complications, and systemic energy redistribution."
This has implications for the way osteoarthritis is treated as well, since conventional treatment typically relies on support care, such as medications, physical therapy and heating pads.11 Instead, the researchers noted that medical care for OA should be "more holistic and personalized."12
In addition to considering individual factors like genetics, lifestyle must be addressed, and resolving obesity should be a primary treatment, along with maintaining muscle health to support the joints.
Tips for Osteoarthritis Prevention
Maintaining a healthy weight is a key part of osteoarthritis prevention. Reducing body weight if you're overweight can decrease the stress on weight-bearing joints like hips and knees and lower inflammation levels associated with obesity. Obesity is also a leading cause of knee replacements. One Australian study of 56,217 patients showed that, of the patients who received a knee replacement due to osteoarthritis, 31.9% were overweight and 57.7% were obese.13
Consuming too much linoleic acid (LA) in seed oils is a primary factor driving the overweight and obesity epidemics. At a molecular level, excess LA consumption also damages your metabolism and impedes your body's ability to generate energy in your mitochondria.
Examples of seed oils high in LA include soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, rapeseed (canola), corn and safflower. To limit LA in your diet, you'll need to avoid most processed foods.
Injury prevention is also important, as it's estimated that up to 12% of OA cases result from injuries caused by automobile or military accidents, falls or sports.14 "Proper precautions such as stretching and strengthening exercises, appropriate footwear and other devices, along with supportive workplace or athletic team policies, can help reduce onset and progression of OA in occupational and sports settings," OAAA notes.
Consuming specific anti-inflammatory and healing foods is another strategy to support overall health and osteoarthritis prevention. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage, for instance, contain a compound called sulforaphane, which also helps reduce the risk of osteoarthritis,15 in part by blocking enzymes that are linked to joint destruction.
A team of researchers from the University of East Anglia published a study in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism that showed substances in cruciferous vegetables could slow the progression of osteoarthritis, or possibly prevent it.16
Sulforaphane did this by inhibiting metalloproteinases that have been implicated in the development and progression of osteoarthritis. The researchers found it also blocked inflammation to protect against cartilage destruction both in the lab and animal models.
Other natural compounds, like turmeric, are useful for relieving osteoarthritis pain. A 2021 randomized trial compared turmeric against paracetamol, a painkiller also known as acetaminophen.
Bioavailable turmeric extract was as effective as paracetamol against osteoarthritis pain and symptoms in the knee and was safe and more effective in reducing tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and C-reactive protein (CRP).17 Acupuncture is another natural strategy that's useful for pain relief and improving function in osteoarthritis.18
Bone Broth for Joint Health
Considering the underlying pathological processes leading to osteoarthritis start long before its symptoms, taking steps to support your joint health early on makes sense. One way to do this is by making homemade bone broth. Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones and connective tissue, which releases collagen and other nutrients into the broth.
Collagen is a major component of cartilage, the tissue that's degraded in OA. While there are plenty of collagen supplements on the market, bone broth is by far the least expensive option. Collagen accounts for about 30% of the total protein in your body.
One of its primary functions is to provide structural support and strength to your tissues, such as skin, bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage,19,20,21 allowing them to stretch while still maintaining tissue integrity. As such, collagen is crucial for repairing soft tissue, muscle and connective tissue, all of which tend to get weaker and less elastic with age.
Further, bone broth may help reduce joint pain and stiffness,22 including osteoarthritis pain.23 It helps reduce joint pain and inflammation, in part, courtesy of chondroitin sulfates, glucosamine and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage.
To make homemade bone broth, simply place bones in an Instant Pot, fill the pot with pure, filtered water — just enough to cover the bones — add salt and other spices to taste, then set it to cook on high for two hours if the bones are from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) or four hours if organic and grass fed.
Using bones from CAFO beef can be problematic due to potential heavy metal contamination. So, when cooking these bones in the Instant Pot, it's best to limit the time to two hours to avoid introducing heavy metals into your broth.
If you're using beef bones from grass fed organic sources, you can safely cook them for four hours. Using bones from an organic source is even more important if you're using chicken, as CAFO chickens tend to produce stock that doesn't gel,24 which raises questions about the quality of the collagen you're getting.
You can further customize your bone broth to align with specific health goals and nutritional needs. For instance, if you're looking to support joint health, consider adding other ingredients that are rich in collagen such as chicken feet to maximize the health benefits.
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Eat Your Prunes
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published October 16, 2017.
If your impression of prunes is that they're something old people eat for help with regularity (although there is that), you could use a bit more information about the benefits of this delicious food. For some people, prunes have somehow gleaned a reputation as dry, mealy and terrible-tasting, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, they may look a little odd, being a wrinkly, purple-to-black lump, but they're tasty to the point of crave-worthy.
In case you're not familiar with prunes, they're simply dried plums, just like raisins are dried grapes. More specifically, prunes are sun-dried plums that skipped the fermentation process.1 To make the moist little morsels more intriguing to 25- through 54-year-old females, the California Prune Board asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin referring to prunes as "dried plums."
It must be working, as prune consumption shifted. Europe is on the receiving end of 40% of the California prune market, and it's jumped 37% in just the last year, Fresh Plaza, a global produce news site, notes:
"It is moving away from the traditional home baking and breakfast occasions into the acceptance of prunes as a healthy snack and a versatile ingredient for home cooking. Chefs from all around the world are starting to recognize the significant benefits of including prunes in a whole range of recipes."2
Prunes, much like peaches, are referred to as "freestone," meaning the large pit in the center can stay intact through the drying process, then be easily removed before packaging. Medicine throughout centuries made use of prunes for fever, high blood pressure, jaundice, diabetes, digestion and constipation, still one of its most popular remedies.
Eat Your Prunes — They're Good for You
Just like raisins, prunes offer chewy sweetness and amazing versatility as well as plenty of surprising nutrients. Fiber, potassium, iron and vitamin A are some of its most prominent nutrients,3 as are vitamin K and beta-carotene.
While I don't recommend you eat an entire cup (174 grams) of pitted prunes in one sitting due to their fructose content (21.6 grams), but if you did, you'd get 12.4 grams, or 49%,4 of the recommended dietary allowance (RDI) of fiber, which is what U.S. health organizations say you need for one day (I believe about 25 to 50 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed is ideal, however).
Fiber is crucial for moving food smoothly through your colon, which automatically lowers your risk of colon cancer. In fact, two studies — the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial and another by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) — noted that "dietary fiber intake is inversely related to the incidence of colon adenomas and cancer."5
Other studies have come to the same conclusion, such as one conducted in 2015 by researchers at Texas A&M. Nancy Turner, an associate professor belonging to the nutrition and food science department, showed that dried plum consumption provides beneficial effects by helping your colon retain advantageous gut microbiota.6
The 37.3% RDI in potassium (in adult males),7 a mineral crucial for good health, you get from eating 1 cup of prunes helps balance the chemical and electrical processes in your body, lowers your risk of stroke and heart disease along with your blood pressure, and optimizes several other important body functions.
In the same cup of prunes, you also get 129% of the RDI in vitamin K, which may help prevent inflammation and osteoporosis and improve your insulin sensitivity.8 Other prominent nutrients in prunes include more than 20% RDI of several B vitamins9 along with notable amounts of vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and boron.
Prunes Should Be Eaten in Moderation
Prunes are a rich source of simple sugars, including fructose. Despite this, research has shown dried plums do not lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar concentration when consumed,10 possibly due to their high fiber and sorbitol content. However, the fructose still constitutes good reason to limit your intake, as is true in regard to consuming most other fruits. Fruits such as plums and prunes can be good for you, but in limited amounts.
One medium prune contains 1.2 grams of fructose. If you're insulin- or leptin-resistant (are overweight, diabetic, hypertensive or have high cholesterol), then it would be especially advisable for you to limit your fruit intake.
As a general rule, I recommend limiting your fructose intake to a maximum of 15 grams of fructose per day from all sources, including whole fruit. If you are not insulin-/leptin-resistant (are of normal weight without diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol) I suggest limiting your fructose intake to 25 grams per day (or less) from all sources.
What Have Prunes Done for You Lately?
Prunes, as you've already read, contain a lot of extremely health-beneficial nutrients. It's how they relate to your body in terms of disease prevention, however, that makes them so valuable. The end conclusion of one study, for instance, reported in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, lists several of those benefits:
"Prunes have been found pharmacologically active as antioxidant, anticancer, anxiolytic, mild laxative and antihyperlipidemic. Their efficacy in treatment and prevention of … osteoporosis has been documented in clinical studies.
It exerts positive effects on cardiovascular parameters possibly through antioxidant activities, high fiber and potassium contents. In conclusion, prunes have wide range of nutritional and medicinal uses and daily consumption can be beneficial in the treatment or prevention of different ailments."11
Flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants in plums, such as lutein and cryptoxanthin, help scavenge free radicals from your body. Free radicals come from toxins that enter your body through your skin and the air you breathe, such as pollution and toxic fumes from household cleaners, food dyes and other unhealthy food ingredients. Free radicals are also produced normally during metabolism.
Bahram H. Arjmandi, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Florida State University, was one of the first to investigate "estrogen receptors in the gut to aid in calcium transport and to demonstrate the efficacy of dried plum in protecting bone in both animal models of osteoporosis and postmenopausal women."12 NDTV quotes Arjmandi:
"Over my career, I have tested numerous fruits, including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins, and none of them come anywhere close to having the effect on bone density that dried plums or prunes have. All fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on nutrition, but in terms of bone health, this particular food is exceptional."13
Other Good Things You Get From Eating Prunes
The incredible compounds in prunes provide several benefits that may seem unrelated, which just goes to show you how all-encompassing such nutrients can be. Here are several more super advantages you gain:
1. Prunes are considered heart-healthy, mostly due to the potassium content, which optimizes heart function and nerve responses throughout your body. Daily potassium intake helps lower your blood pressure, as well as your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
2. Prunes help fight osteoporosis, in part due to the boron content, which Alive, a health and wellness site, explains:
"Helps regulate mineral metabolism and optimizes estrogen levels, which in turn increases calcium absorption. Additionally, boron helps convert vitamin D to its active form, which helps the osteoblasts [bone-building cells] utilize calcium for bone formation."14
3. Eating prunes benefits your hair and skin due to the array of vitamins and minerals they provide, which even help slow signs of aging, such as wrinkles. Adequate amounts of iron helps reduce the risk of a deficiency that can show up in dry, discolored hair, and even hair loss.
4. Prune consumption benefits your vision due to high vitamin A, which produces retinol. Being deficient in this vitamin is a leading cause of macular degeneration, dry eyes, cataracts and night blindness.
5. The nutrients in prunes go a long way. Nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat offers both a caution and an encouragement:
"Prunes are high in natural sugar, so too many may not be good for people watching their weight. After all, excess of anything is stored as fat in your body. Prunes have such high nutritional values ensuring that you can eat just one piece and still gain measurable nutrients."15
Is Prune Juice Beneficial for Constipation?
You've no doubt heard about the effects of prune juice being a good laxative. In fact, studies have shown it to be even more effective than psyllium husk at treating constipation.16 Prune juice, too, is lauded for decreasing the "transit time" of foods in your digestive tract.
For people with constipation, eating the whole prune may be enough to get things moving, and I recommend trying this first. Again, a study noted that prunes were better at helping relieve constipation compared to psyllium.17
I do not, however, recommend drinking prune juice regularly or in large quantities because of the sugar content. If chronic constipation is a problem for you, there are many other natural strategies to treat it. Constipation aside, here are a few more ways to incorporate whole prunes into your diet:
- Use kitchen shears to cut prunes in smaller pieces to toss into salad greens or mixed with quinoa and coconut meat.
- They're a great snack for traveling, whether you're in the car or on a walking trail, and even in your lunchbox.
- An ounce (28 grams) can be added to smoothies for a bit of natural sweetness, as well as extra antioxidants and fiber.
- Pitted prunes and a little water in your food processor produces a tasty topping for everything from banana bread made from coconut flour to homemade vanilla bean ice cream sweetened with stevia. (As is nearly always the case, the healthiest recipes are those you make yourself.)
- Try adding a handful of prunes to savory dishes such as chicken with rosemary and basil.
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Beyond the Walls — How Outdoor Time Transforms Your Health
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Whenever you’re feeling tired or stressed, your first instinct may be to stay in your room and shut yourself away from the outside world. However, you may find it surprising that doing the opposite — stepping outside and spending time under the sun and immersing yourself in Mother Nature — can be more enjoyable and beneficial than staying within the safety of your walls.
A HuffPost article1 stresses the importance of going outdoors and highlights four ways it can support your well-being — optimizing your vitamin D levels, reducing stress and anxiety, supporting optimal cognitive function, and improving sleep.
I couldn’t agree more, as I believe that spending time outdoors is one of the cornerstones of optimal health. It not only lets you reap the benefits of sunlight (which I’ll discuss more later), but also allows you to be one with nature, which can have profound benefits for your mind and body.
Most People Are Not Spending Enough Time Outdoors
Humans are designed to be connected to nature, and breaking this connection opens the door for physical, emotional and mental health disorders. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the population is still not spending enough time outdoors.
According to a survey published in Medium,2 58.8% of Americans say they spend one hour or less outdoors daily, while one-third are only getting 30 minutes of outdoor time, or less. Women and young adults in particular are spending more time inside their homes rather than going outside. The article notes:
"Women are indoors much more than men: 45.4% of women spend 30 minutes a day or less outdoors, compared with only 29.1% of men. They’re 64% more likely to go outdoors for 15 minutes a day or less.
Young people also spend a lot of time indoors: people aged 18 to 24 years were significantly more likely to spend 30 minutes or less per day outdoors (44.9%) than the rest of the population (31.7%)."3
This lack of outdoor time is described as "nature deficit disorder." Coined by journalist Richard Louv4 in his book "Last Child in the Woods," this refers to the nature deficits that occur due to the urbanized lifestyle that’s rampant today. These include limited access to natural spaces, too much screen time and academic pressures, which all result in reduced outdoor leisure time and more time spent indoors.
Louv states that this human disconnection from nature leads to diminished sensory engagement, attention difficulties, and increased rates of physical and emotional conditions.
Spending Time Outdoors Can Significantly Uplift Your Mood
Going out and spending time in nature allows you to destress and leave your worries behind. According to the HuffPost article,5 "Natural settings and green spaces are inherently very calming and studies have found that spending time in nature can significantly reduce stress, anxiety and depression."
Visiting green and blue spaces specifically offers significant effects on your well-being. Green spaces include parks and forest preserves, while blue spaces refer to rivers, beaches, lakes and coastal areas.
One study6 found that visiting these spaces was positively associated with well-being and negatively associated with mental distress. The researchers noted that being psychologically connected to nature was linked to better mental health and a lower risk of turning to medications to ease depression.
In another study,7 researchers found that senior adults who were able to access parks had better physical and psychological health; blue space users also reported having better health.
However, you don’t need to travel far to reap the benefits of the outdoors. If there are no easily accessible beaches or forests in your area, I would suggest simply creating your own green space by starting a garden.
Even the simple act of gardening can have profound benefits — according to one survey, 80% of gardeners in the U.K. reported being "happy and satisfied with their lives," compared to only 67% of nongardeners.8
Being One With Nature Also Improves Your Cognitive Function
The HuffPost article9 also mentions that spending time outdoors can help keep your mind sharp. This is particularly important for children and young adults, whose minds are still developing.
Unfortunately, younger generations are now spending more time indoors with their gadgets, further worsening the disconnectedness from nature. This is why I believe it is crucial that we encourage the youth to spend more time in nature.
"Interacting with nature can boost your cognitive performance, particularly in areas such as concentration, problem-solving, and creativity. The stimuli provided by natural environments are thought to engage the brain in different and beneficial ways," the HuffPost article10 says.
Being immersed in nature improves cognitive functioning, decreases attention deficit disorder and promotes self-awareness in young people. A study11 found that young adults who attended a four-week wilderness camp reaped significant benefits. The researchers noted:
"Nature immersion in a camp setting positively affected the participants' relationship with nature; increased relaxation along with decreased perceived stress; increased positive emotions and decreased negative emotions; increased sense of wholeness and experience of transcendence; and enhanced social interaction."12
Why I Disagree With the 20-5-3 Nature Prescription
One simple guideline for the ideal amount of time to spend in nature is the 20-5-3 nature pyramid.13 Here’s a simple explanation of this concept:
• 20 is at the bottom of the pyramid, and refers to 20 minutes as the recommended amount of time to spend outdoors three times a week. This is said to boost memory, cognitive function and well-being.
• 5 refers to the ideal number of hours to spend in semi-wild nature per month. The recommendation is to visit a state park, which gives you access to a wilder space.
• 3 refers to the number of days that’s recommended for you to stay in remote areas of the natural world.
However, I do not advise following this guideline, as it’s a feeble attempt to identify the minimum requirement of being outdoors in the sun. I realize that many, even at this astonishing low level, still fail to meet this recommendation. So instead of following the 20-5-3 rule, here’s what I recommend — aim to be outdoors for at least an hour a day.
Spending Time Under the Sun Optimizes Your Vitamin D Production
Whether you choose to spend it in green or blue spaces, exploring forests or enjoying the beach, or simply just tending to your outdoor garden, I highly recommend getting at least an hour of sensible sun exposure, ideally near solar noon. This exponentially increases the benefits you can get from spending time outdoors.
Getting regular daily sun exposure has been a passion of mine for several decades. Every one of our ancient ancestors experienced benefits from this activity — it was virtually impossible not to, as the daily necessities of living required them to experience daily sun exposure, not 20 minutes three times a week.
It’s best to get your one hour of sun exposure around solar noon to achieve the benefits of UVB rays and near-infrared wavelengths. This will also allow you to optimize your levels of vitamin D, a steroid hormone that’s been shown to have a powerful effect on health. Having optimal vitamin D levels helps protect against a wide variety of diseases, including the top causes of mortality, such as:
• Heart disease — Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide,14 which is why optimizing your vitamin D is a crucial step in avoiding this condition. Vitamin D plays a vital role in protecting and repairing damage to your endothelium, which can help manage hypertension and reduce the risk of atherosclerotic heart disease, heart attack and stroke.15
Having optimal levels of vitamin D also helps trigger nitric oxide production,16 which improves blood flow and prevents blood clot formation. It also reduces oxidative stress in your vascular system.
• Cancer — Vitamin D can attach to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in your cells, which sets off a series of signals that may affect how they grow, develop and survive. Through this mechanism of action, vitamin D hinders cell growth in your tissues, helping to control the speed at which cells multiply.17
There’s mounting evidence showing that vitamin D is a strong ally to combat cancer. With this disease now the second leading cause of mortality worldwide,18 this just emphasizes the importance of optimizing your levels. For more about this topic, I recommend reading my article, "More Evidence Showing Vitamin D Combats Cancer."
• Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease,19 Parkinson’s20 and multiple sclerosis (MS)21 — Seniors who are severely deficient in this nutrient may have a 125% increased risk of dementia.22 Having low vitamin D levels in childhood is also associated with an increased risk of MS in adulthood.23
• Diabetes — According to research,24 vitamin D supplementation (4,000 IUs/day) along with resistance training helps decrease your waist-to-hip ratio, which is far better at determining your risk for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease than body mass index.
Going Outdoors During Daytime Can Help You Get Better Sleep at Night
While vitamin D production is the most well-known effect related to sun exposure, it’s just the tip of the iceberg, as there are several ways sunlight can boost your health. One example is by adjusting your body clock and helping you get high-quality sleep at night. The HuffPost article mentions better sleep as one benefit of spending time outdoors:
"A 2021 study25 found that time outside in the morning can improve sleep quality, and, conversely, less time spent outdoors can impair overall sleep quality. Poor sleep can lead to a range of health issues including impacts on mental health and the heart."26
This is because spending time outside in the bright midday sun helps anchor your circadian rhythm. Your pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin when you get bright light exposure during the day and complete darkness at night, which then keeps your rhythm stabilized. This is why I’ve always warned about decreasing exposure to light, blue light in particular, in the evening, as even the tiniest amount can disrupt your sleep.
Near-infrared light also activates cytochrome c oxidase (CCO),27 which in turn enhances the production of melatonin in your mitochondria. There’s actually an intimate link between sunlight and melatonin. In fact, there are two types of melatonin — circulatory, which is produced by your pineal gland and secreted in the blood, and subcellular, which is made in your mitochondria where it is locally used.
However, both types are connected and controlled by either the absence or presence of sunlight. If you fail to expose your skin to sufficient near-infrared light from the sun, then your mitochondria will have seriously depleted melatonin levels that can’t be corrected through supplementation.
Sun Exposure Supports Your Health in Myriad Ways
The rays of the sun actually are a beneficial electromagnetic frequency that is vital for your health in its own right. About 40% of the sun’s rays are infrared.28 These red and near-infrared frequencies have a much longer wavelength, meaning they can penetrate deeper into your body, reaching cells in your subcutaneous tissue and not just on your skin.
Near-infrared cannot be seen but is felt as warmth, and it can penetrate through lightweight clothing. That said, here are just some ways the near-infrared light from sunlight can benefit your well-being:
• Lowering your risk of high blood pressure — UVB light produces nitric oxide (NO)29 and dilates your blood vessels, specifically the capillaries in your skin, which then directs about 60% of your blood flow there. This then allows the sun's rays to easily penetrate into your blood, where it can help eliminate infections.
• Modulating genetic expression related to your inflammatory response — Sunlight also appears to alter genetic expression.30 Some of these genetic changes can affect your inflammatory responses.
• Inhibiting infectious diseases — A study31 found that exposure to blue and ultraviolet (UV) light increases T cell activity, which are white blood cells involved in immune function.
• Helping treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — Light therapy has long been the go-to treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD),32 and other research suggests it can be useful in the treatment of major depression as well.33
You Can Reap More Benefits When You Exercise Outdoors
There’s no doubt that spending time outdoors is one of the fundamental strategies to regain and maintain your health, so whenever you have an opportunity to go outdoors, do it. Include your family, even your young children, in your plans and treat it as a group activity. You can spend time in the park and go on a picnic. If your schedule allows, take time to visit the beach, hike or go on a nature walk.
Another ideal way to boost your health is to exercise outdoors. According to a recent meta-analysis published in the BMJ,34 several exercises can significantly alleviate symptoms of depression, regardless of severity. The researchers note:
"In isolation, the most effective exercise modalities were walking or jogging, yoga, strength training, and dancing. Although walking or jogging were effective for both men and women, strength training was more effective for women, and yoga or qigong was more effective for men. Yoga was somewhat more effective among older adults, and strength training was more effective among younger people."
Most of these activities can be done outdoors, and you can do them by yourself or with a companion. I highly recommend walking, as it’s the best form of moderate-intensity exercise there is, in terms of making you fitter and increasing your lifespan. It’s also the easiest to incorporate, as you wouldn’t need any special equipment — just a comfortable pair of walking shoes.
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Diet for a Large Planet
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I participated in the 2018 Long Island Food Conference, the lone meat eater in a lineup of speakers espousing “plant-based” diets. The keynote speaker was Frances Moore Lappé, whom you will recognize as the author of the very influential “Diet for a Small Planet,” the 1971 book that convinced many to embrace a diet of grains and beans.
In the book, Lappé argues that meat production has a negative environmental impact and is a major contributor to global food scarcity. By practicing vegetarianism we can help save the planet and feed the hungry, she claimed. Many answered the call. Several conference participants reported that they became vegetarians after reading her book.
(The recipes in the back of the book, and in the 1991 Twentieth Anniversary edition, updated with a long preface by Lappé, are cringe-worthy, containing margarine, skim milk, low-fat cheese, vegetable oil, eggless mayo, and lots of soy ingredients such as soy flour, tofu, soy grits, soy burgers and even unprocessed soybeans. I think Lappé gets the credit for introducing soy foods to the American public, but in her defense, no one at the time knew just how toxic they were.)
From Abundance to Scarcity: Lappé’s Contradictory Keynote on Food Production and Malnutrition
Lappé began her keynote talk at the conference by declaring that food is abundant, that the world produces twenty-nine hundred calories per day per person. But people are hungry, she says, because one-half of all grain produced goes to animal feed and three-fourths of all agricultural land is used for livestock production.
She told the audience that in spite of increased food production, many in the world suffer from malnutrition, with one in five children stunted. Two billion souls lack at least one essential nutrient. She noted, as many have, the concentration of wealth and power in the food and agricultural industries, and the influence of lobbyists.
Corn and soy — used in vegetarian and vegan foods — get subsidized, a fact that she linked with the increase of diabetes from 1% in 1970 to 10% today. GMOs came in for special criticism, which she characterized as a “Giant Missed Opportunity.” She quoted a GMO scientist who said, “We brainwashed ourselves.”
Lappé decried what she called the Scarcity Mind and the presumption of lack. Instead, she proposes the “Eco Mind,” which recognizes the fact that in biology, everything is related, that there are no parts, only participants. Whereas the Scarcity Mind leads to concentration of power in agriculture, the Eco Mind aligns with the laws of Nature.
Interestingly, Lappé did not actually say that people should be vegetarians — which one participant told me is her call to arms at most conferences — but I don’t think I have ever heard a presentation more contradictory, more brimming with mixed messages.
Managed Grazing: A Sustainable Solution for Livestock and Soil Health
Let’s start with her Scarcity Mind message that we should not eat beef (or bacon). Everyone in the audience would agree that the current feedlot system, which treats the beef cow as a receptacle for cheap, subsidized corn, is an abomination. But it’s really misleading to claim that using three-fourths of agricultural land for livestock production is a bad thing.
By some estimates, only 11% of the Earth’s surface is tillable, that is, fertile enough for crop production; but a large portion of the rest supports animal production very well. In fact, grazing cattle and other animals on this kind of land will improve the soil and make it more productive if done right — that is, with managed grazing, which in the case of beef cattle, requires no grain, and in the case of dairy cattle, requires only small amounts of grain.
And with managed grazing, you can increase the number of cattle the land will support, some say by tenfold. In an article, Joel Salatin described his conversion of a two-hundred-acre farm from continuous grazing (where the cows mill around aimlessly on a large piece of ground) to managed grazing (where the cows are confined to a small area of pasture but moved every day, in imitation of Nature’s grazing patterns).
Land that supported just thirty cows with continuous grazing, will support three hundred cows with managed grazing — and with environmental improvement rather than degradation. If the world farmed like this, then everyone could eat beef!
And that would certainly help with the main problem that Lappé mentions — that of malnutrition and stunting. Stunting is common in children who grow up on plant-based diets, mainly due to lack of zinc. And what is the best source of zinc? Why beef, of course! Only animal products can supply those nutrients most missing in Third World diets — vitamins A, D and K2, B12, B6, iron, iodine and calcium, as well as zinc.
Nature’s Blueprint: The Essential Role of Animals in Sustainable Farming
Lappé blames the increase in diabetes on subsidies for corn and soybeans, and the proliferation of GMO crops, but any diet based on grain, whether subsidized GMO or not, will predispose to diabetes, and of course, this is exactly what Lappé has been urging for the last fifty years.
The Eco Mind aligns with the laws of Nature, says Lappé, and what is the first law of Nature? It’s this: Nature never farms without animals. In every part of the world where plants grow, animals are there; and even in places where plants do not grow, such as Antarctica, animals (namely penguins) not only grow but thrive. Throughout the world, animals and plants live in symbiosis; plants support the animals, and animals help the plants, mainly by recycling them into rich manure.
If we farmed according to the laws of Nature, we would have animals on 100% of agricultural land; on land suitable for grains and produce, we’d alternate crop production with grazing to fertilize the soil; we’d have ducks and geese in our orchards to get rid of pests, and pigs in our woodlands to clear them into silvo-pastures.
Beyond Corn and Beans: The Flawed Logic of a Limited Diet for Global Hunger
But Lappé’s biggest contradiction is her premise that we live on a small planet with limited resources while claiming that at the same time that we are producing abundant food; and that because our planet is small and stressed, we need to eat an unsatisfying and limited diet so that others may eat.
How confining ourselves to a diet of corn and beans is going to help people in India and Africa have enough to eat is not explained. Of course, we could send the subsidized GMO corn that we otherwise would give to cattle to these areas, but that would only undermine local small farms, something Lappé would not condone.
The fact is, we live on a large planet, an immense planet that is fertile, abundant, plentiful, generous and gracious — especially if we farm intelligently in ways that nourish the soil instead of poison it.
It is not overpopulated — a claim brought up constantly throughout the conference — but capable of feeding many times more people than it currently does, and feeding them well, if we could just get the corporations out of the way.
Even in this age of mono-cropping and industrial farms, small farms still produce about 70% of the world’s food — and all but the poorest of these farms support animals like chickens, ducks, pigs, goats, sheep and milk cows.
Questioning the Consensus: A Divergent View on Global Warming and Dietary Choices
At our booth I spoke with a lovely young lady who asked me about the Weston A. Price Foundation’s position on global warming — since because of global warming, we need to eat a plant-based diet.
I told her that the Foundation doesn’t take a position on that subject, but that according to what I have read, the Earth stopped warming in the late 1990s and now is in a cooling trend. I talked about the Medieval Warming Period, several hundred years of weather warmer than what we currently have, when vineyards flourished in Denmark and dairy farms dotted the coast of Greenland.
Then the climate turned cold and Europe experienced the Little Ice Age, when the Thames froze over every winter and lots of people starved for lack of food.
I pointed out that these changes happened before industrialization, so man’s activities can hardly be blamed — most likely climate change has to do with variations in the sun’s activities.
In other words, we don’t have to feel guilty for driving an SUV or eating bacon, but she disagreed. Ninety-seven percent of scientists support global warming, she said, so “everybody knows” that by eating meat instead of a plant-based diet, we are contributing to melting glaciers and rising seas.
Integrating Animals Can Reduce Waste and Nourish Communities
One of the tracks at the conference focused on food waste — another reason given for eating a plant-based diet. Certainly, the current industrial food system is hugely wasteful. Tristram Stuart, a former UK pig farmer turned crusader spoke about new technologies that can turn food waste into animal feed.
He is the founder of Toast Ale, a beer made with fresh surplus bread. One is justified in asking, what kind of bread goes into this beer? Does it contain dozens of additives, GMO grain and soy flour like most bread does?
What creates the most waste in our food system is the separation of animals into single-species CAFOs. With pigs concentrated in South Carolina and dairy cows concentrated in Wisconsin, what are you going to do with the whey leftover from cheesemaking and skim milk leftover from the manufacture of butter and cream?
These are waste products that don’t nourish people but nourish pigs very well. And if pigs live on your farm, instead of in CAFOs, they can eat your kitchen garbage as well as whey and skim milk from the on-farm production of yummy, nourishing foods like cheese, butter and cream.
And if you have a brewery nearby, the pigs can get extra nutrition from spent grains. All these foods — garbage, whey, skim milk and spent grain — are free to the farmer so he doesn’t have to purchase a lot of grain. Using this system, we can all feel good about eating that ultimate product of recycled waste — bacon!
The Weston A. Price Foundation advocates supporting small, pasture-based farms by spending half your food dollar in direct sales with farmers. With the other half, you can celebrate how small the world has become.
About the Author
Sally Fallon Morell is author of the best-selling cookbook “Nourishing Traditions” and many other books on diet and health. She is the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.org) and a founder of A Campaign for Real Milk (realmilk.com). Visit her blog at nourishingtraditions.com.
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Safe Alternatives to Toxic Mothballs
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published October 18, 2017.
Prior to the mass production of synthetic fabrics such as polyester, mothballs were commonly added to bins, boxes and trunks to prevent stored clothing made from natural fibers from becoming infested with clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella). Perhaps you remember visiting the home of an elderly relative whose attic or basement smelled strongly of mothballs. It's an unforgettable odor and one that can be toxic with continuous exposure.
Even though people today wear fewer natural fabrics, such as wool, mothballs are still in high demand. While they were once used almost exclusively to prevent moths from attracting stored clothing, mothballs are now mostly misused to deter pests found in attics, backyards and gardens. A far better solution to moth control is the use of essential oils, such as lavender, mint and white camphor oil.
Who Regulates Mothballs and What's in Them?
In the U.S., mothballs are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Currently, more than 30 products are registered with the EPA that contain paradichlorobenzene, as well as more than a dozen products that contain naphthalene.1 Notably, the European Union (E.U.) banned the supply of all naphthalene-containing products in 2008, due to concerns about toxicity.2
Pesticide labels, including labels for mothballs, detail exactly where and how you can use the product legally. Using mothballs in ways beyond what is recommended on the label is not only illegal, but can be harmful to people, pets and the environment.3 For example, mothballs are sometimes used in gardens to deter digging rodents. Tim Stock, Oregon State University's (OSU) Integrated Pest Management director, said:4
"People often use mothballs in inappropriate sites and against incorrect pests. The only recommendation that counts is the product label, which is a legal document whose instructions must be followed — particularly on where mothballs may be used and which pests they will control."
Stock and Dave Stone, Ph.D., associate dean of international programs at OSU, co-wrote an article entitled "Mothballs: Proper Use and Alternative Controls for Clothes Moths."5
Stone says mothballs should not be used inside attics, crawl spaces, gardens, trash cans or vehicles. "Often, mothballs are used in these locations to control pests other than clothes moths," he says. Some of the wild pests Stone mentioned are deer, mice, moles, raccoons, squirrels and skunks. He suggested that domesticated cats and dogs have also been targets for mothballs. All such animal applications are illegal, and sometimes dangerous, said Stone.6
"A relatively common mistake is placing mothballs in an attic to repel squirrels. This will almost always result in a persistent and noxious odor throughout the home."
How the Toxic Ingredients in Mothballs Can Affect Your Health
In the past, mothballs were made from plant-based camphor and, later, naphthalene, a derivative of coal tar. Because naphthalene is highly flammable, mothballs are also fashioned from the synthetic chemical paradichlorobenzene, which has an unpleasant smell but is cheaper to make.7
Today's mothballs — bars, cakes, crystals, flakes and tablets — contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene as nearly 100% active ingredients.8 When you inhale the odor of mothballs, you are actually inhaling a pesticide. According to Stone:9
"Both chemicals are fumigants, meaning that their volatile chemicals will vaporize at lower temperatures, such as room temperature. Naphthalene has been associated with adverse health effects such as headache, nausea, dizziness and difficulty breathing. Paradichlorobenzene is also a potential hazard, although typically less than naphthalene."
Because naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene transition from a solid straight to a gas, a process called sublimation, it is their toxic fumes that kill moths and moth larvae.10
In addition to the concerns noted above, I would add that paradichlorobenzene has been found to cause cancer in animals. Prolonged exposure to naphthalene can damage or destroy your red blood cells, which may cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Due to the potential side effects, it is essential that you follow all label instructions and take steps to limit your exposure to naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, whether in mothballs or other household products.
How to Properly Use Mothballs
The key to success with mothballs is to place them with your stored items in an airtight, sealed container. Inside a sealed container, the fumes become concentrated, thereby killing the moths. With this arrangement, because the fumes are contained, mothballs are purported to not be harmful to people. You do face risks of toxic exposure and potential health problems, however, if you:11,12
- Store items with mothballs in containers that are not tightly sealed, because fumes will be released into the air and could accumulate in living areas inhabited by humans and pets
- Use mothballs in gardens or other outdoor areas to control insects, rodents or snakes because of potential contamination to air, soil, plants and water supplies
- Leave mothballs out and within reach of children and pets who may ingest them
- Wash clothes that have been stored with mothballs immediately after removing them from the storage containers
It's important to note that due to their smaller size, infants can easily be overcome by toxic exposure from clothing treated with mothballs.13 Never put clothing that has been stored in mothballs on your baby until the items have been aired out and washed properly. If possible, store infant clothing separately and use one of the nontoxic alternatives to mothballs that will be discussed later.
As you might imagine, children, pets and wildlife can easily mistake mothballs as food and chew or swallow them. If someone has ingested a mothball, call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical assistance. If you think your pet may have eaten a mothball, contact your veterinarian.
Safer Ways to Prevent Moth Damage
The Spruce offers several helpful suggestions to prevent moth damage without resorting to toxic mothballs:14
- Machine wash or dry clean your clothing prior to storing it at the end of the season to kill any larvae that may have attached to the clothing prior to storage
- Store your items in sealed containers such as chests, plastic storage containers or suitcases; zip wool coats and suits into garment bags
- Since moths prefer moist environments, be sure to store your items in in a closet or under your bed; avoid storing clothing for long periods of time in your basement or garage
While prevention strategies are the best defense against clothing moths, Stock offers tips on what to do if you are dealing with a moth infestation:15
"… Vacuum drawers and closets using a HEPA vacuum cleaner. Also, vacuum furniture and other places that provide food sources such as lint, pet hair and human hair. Lint and hair that have been undisturbed for a long time are prime breeding grounds for clothes moths."
Be sure to change your vacuum bag regularly to ensure you are removing the larvae from your home and not giving them a chance to repopulate. If you find moths on clothing or other textiles, place the affected item in the freezer for at least 24 hours to kill any active larvae.
How to Get Rid of Moths Naturally
The Apartment Therapy website features an easy do-it-yourself project on how to make a moth-repellent sachet using dried herbs.16 Most health food stores sell dried herbs in bulk. In addition to following the suggestions given above, you can eliminate and prevent clothes moths with one or more of the following natural remedies:17
- Cedar — Cedar blocks, chips, chests or closets have long been recognized as an effective moth repellent. Keep in mind that cedar loses its scent and repellent effectiveness over time, and you'll need to periodically sand the wood lightly or apply cedar oil to re-establish the scent
- Cloves, rosemary and thyme — Place a mix of these dried herbs in one or more sachet bags and add them to the storage containers with your clothing; replace the contents of the sachets every six months or whenever they lose their fragrance
- Lavender — Fill one or more sachet bags with dried lavender, or dip several cotton balls in lavender essential oil, then place them in airtight storage containers with your clothes
- Mint — Secure a handful of dried mint leaves in one or more sachets, or dip several cotton balls in peppermint essential oil and place them with your stored items in airtight containers
What About White Camphor Oil?
As mentioned earlier, white camphor oil was, at one time, a primary ingredient in mothballs. Unlike naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, white camphor has medicinal applications and is not regarded as a carcinogen. It is, however, toxic in large doses.
White camphor oil (Cinnamomum camphora) comes from the camphor tree, which is native to China, Japan and Taiwan (Formosa). It is sometimes grown in India and Sri Lanka as well. Camphor oil produces three distinct fractions — brown, yellow and white. Only white camphor oil is used for aromatic and medicinal purposes. The brown and yellow fractions contain a substance called safrole, a known carcinogen.
White camphor is a common ingredient in mentholated products and ointments designed to ease skin diseases and fungal infections. It can often be found in cold rubs and decongestant balms. Its intense penetrating scent makes white camphor oil an effective insect repellent, especially for deterring flies and moths. Due to its cooling and penetrating properties, white camphor oil offers several health benefits, including:18
- Anesthetic — Causes numbness of your sensory nerves at the area of application
- Anti-inflammatory and sedative — Reduces inflammation and helps calm your nerves, giving you a peaceful, relaxed feeling
- Antispasmodic — Gives immediate relief from muscle cramps, spasms and stiffness, which, by the way, could be caused by a magnesium deficiency
- Decongestant — Provides respiratory relief by reducing blockage in your bronchi, lungs and nasal passages
Cautions Related to White Camphor Oil
Although white camphor oil has many health benefits, keep the following cautions in mind. If you have any concerns or doubts, seek the advice of a health professional before using it.
Always use white camphor oil with a mild carrier oil, such as coconut oil |
Before using topically, conduct a skin patch test to see if you are allergic to it |
Do not administer white camphor oil to children due to potential skin sensitization and toxicity |
Applying it at night may disrupt your sleep |
Do not apply white camphor, or any oil, to burns or open wounds |
If you have asthma, epilepsy or are pregnant, do not use white camphor oil due to its potential adverse effects |
Never take white camphor oil internally |
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Navigating the Gray Area: Understanding the Legalities of Off-Label Drug Use
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In the U.S., 1 in 5 prescriptions are written for an off-label use.1 This means that a physician is prescribing a medication for a purpose that has not been officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While the FDA approves drugs for specific uses, physicians can legally prescribe them for other uses that they deem medically appropriate.
This practice is common and often based on emerging evidence, clinical experience or guidelines from professional medical societies. While sometimes this allows medications to be overused or misused, it also protects doctors’ ability to freely treat patients, and patients’ ability to use all available treatments after making an informed decision.
As it relates to progesterone — one of four hormones I believe most adults can benefit from — the route of administration is particularly important and influences its effectiveness.
Unfortunately, if applied transmucosally, which is the preferred method, the FDA views this as turning the supplement into a drug. So, due to this gray area, over-the-counter progesterone products cannot list transmucosal application on their label, even though it is perfectly legal for physicians to prescribe it that way.
Legal Technicalities Block Best Route of Progesterone Administration on Labels
In the complex landscape of modern medicine, off-label drug use represents a significant gray area that both empowers and challenges health care providers and patients. It’s important to understand that while the FDA regulates the approval and marketing of pharmaceuticals, it does not control the practice of medicine.
This regulatory framework allows physicians the latitude to prescribe medications for unapproved uses, a practice known as off-label prescribing. Off-label use can be crucial for patient care, offering alternative treatment options when standard therapies fail or are unavailable.
For instance, a physician might use a hormone like progesterone transmucosally despite its primary approval for other routes of administration. Such flexibility is vital in tailoring treatments to individual patient needs and advancing clinical practice based on emerging evidence and experience.
However, people who could benefit from transmucosal administration of drugs like progesterone might not be empowered with this information due to FDA regulations. These regulations require all over-the-counter (OTC) progesterone products to be labeled for topical and cosmetic use only.
As a result, manufacturers are unable to promote the internal use of these products without reclassifying them as new drugs, which would necessitate a lengthy and costly approval process.
This regulatory environment can leave you uninformed about potential benefits and alternative applications of medications. For example, a person seeking effective hormone therapy might be unaware that transmucosal progesterone could be a viable option, as this information is not widely promoted or available due to regulatory constraints. Consequently, patients may miss out on treatments that could significantly improve their quality of life.
Why I Recommend Applying Progesterone to Your Gums, Not Your Skin
Transdermal and transmucosal administration are two methods of delivering medication through different types of body tissues. Transdermal administration involves applying medication directly to the skin. The drug is then absorbed through the skin layers and into the bloodstream over time.
Transmucosal administration involves applying a substance to mucous membranes, such as those found in the mouth. The compound is absorbed through the mucosal tissues and directly enters the bloodstream. The FDA considers the route of administration significant in determining whether a progesterone product is considered a new drug. The FDA views transmucosal applications as distinct from topical applications and subject to different regulatory requirements.
However, I do not recommend transdermal progesterone, as your skin expresses high levels of 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which causes a significant portion of the progesterone you're taking to be irreversibly converted primarily into allopregnanolone and cannot be converted back into progesterone.
This is why I recommend applying progesterone transmucosally — on your gums — as then it is absorbed into the bloodstream directly rather than bypassing first pass metabolism in the liver that converts it into useless metabolites. As mentioned, when progesterone is used transmucosally on your gums as I advise, the FDA believes that somehow converts it into a drug and prohibits any company from advising that on its label.
This is the case for Simply Progesterone by Health Natura, which is premixed with vitamin E and MCT oil. Health Natura states:2
“The FDA requires all OTC; Non-prescription Progesterone to be labeled for topical & cosmetic use only. We cannot promote the internal use of Simply Progesterone. Doing so would prompt the FDA to reclassify Simply Progesterone as a drug, and we would be forced to stop selling it.”
While some have expressed concerned that the label on their product says it is for skin use only, please understand that this is most likely for the reasons just stated — this is not for your protection; it is to protect the drug company's cash flow. Applying the progesterone to your gums is the ideal route of administration and is a perfectly legal off-label use of progesterone.
In this case, progesterone is a natural hormone, not a drug, and is very safe even at high doses. This is unlike synthetic progesterone called progestins that are used by drug companies, but frequently, and incorrectly, referred to as progesterone, which are dangerous and should never be used by anyone.
Tips for Proper Progesterone Administration
Before you consider using progesterone it is important to understand that it is not a magic bullet and you get the most benefit by implementing a Bioenergetic diet approach that allows you to effectively burn glucose as your primary fuel with backing up electrons in your mitochondria that reduces your energy production. My new book coming out shortly about Cellular Health covers this process in great detail.
Once you have dialed in your diet, an effective strategy that can help counteract estrogen excess is to take transmucosal progesterone (not oral or transdermal), which is a natural estrogen antagonist. As mentioned, progesterone is one of only four hormones I believe many adults can benefit from. (The other three are thyroid hormone T3, DHEA and pregnenolone.)
As a general recommendation, I recommend taking 25 to 50 mg of bioidentical progesterone per day, taken in the evening one hour before bed, as it can also promote sleep. For optimal bioavailability, progesterone needs to be mixed into natural vitamin E. The difference in bioavailability between taking progesterone orally without vitamin E and taking it with vitamin E is 45 minutes versus 48 hours.
Simply Progesterone by Health Natura is premixed with vitamin E and MCT oil. You can also make your own by dissolving pure USP progesterone powder into one capsule of a high-quality vitamin E, and then rub the mixture on your gums. Fifty milligrams of powdered progesterone is about 1/32 teaspoon.
Do not use synthetic vitamin E (alpha tocopherol acetate — the acetate indicates that it's synthetic). Natural vitamin E will be labeled "d alpha tocopherol." This is the pure D isomer, which is what your body can use.
There are also other vitamin E isomers, and you want the complete spectrum of tocopherols and tocotrienols, specifically the beta, gamma, and delta types, in the effective D isomer. As an example of an ideal vitamin E you can look at the label on our vitamin E in our store. You can use any brand that has a similar label.
If you are a menstruating woman, you should take the progesterone during the luteal phase or the last half of your cycle, which can be determined by starting 10 days after the first day of your period and stopping the progesterone when your period starts.
If you are a male or non-menstruating woman you can take the progesterone every day for four to six months and then cycle off for one week. The best time of day to take progesterone is 30 minutes before bed as it has an anti-cortisol function and will increase GABA levels for a good night's sleep.
Does the FDA Want the Power to Regulate the Practice of Medicine?
The 2023 omnibus appropriations bill — a 4,155-page tome involving $1.7 trillion in spending — included 19 lines that would give the FDA the power to ban off-label use of approved medications. In a commentary for the Wall Street Journal, Joel Zinberg wrote:3
“Physicians routinely prescribe drugs and employ medical devices that are approved and labeled by the Food and Drug Administration for a particular use. Yet sometimes physicians discern other beneficial uses for these technologies, which they prescribe for their patients without specific official sanction.
The new legislation amends the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, to give the FDA the authority to ban some of these off-label uses of otherwise approved products. This unwarranted intrusion into the physician-patient relationship threatens to undermine medical innovation and patient care.”
“The new provision was enacted at the FDA’s urging,” Zinberg says,4 in response to a 2021 legal ruling that limited the FDA’s power to meddle with the practice of medicine. In March 2020, the FDA banned the use of electric shock devices for particular uses, namely to treat patients engaging in self-harm or aggressive behaviors that could harm others.
The devices are FDA approved, and while the FDA banned their use for certain contexts, it still allowed them to be used for smoking addiction and other purposes.5 This led to a lawsuit — Judge Rotenberg Education Center v. FDA — in which the Judge Rotenberg Education Center, a school for people with severe behavioral and intellectual conditions, sued the FDA over the ban.
The court ruled in the school’s favor, stating that the FDA’s ban violated federal law because it interfered with health care practitioners’ authority to practice medicine. As it stands, the FDA does not have the power to ban medical devices for a particular use.
As it stands, Section 360f of the FDCA only gives the FDA authority to ban a medical device if it poses “an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury.” It can ban the device outright, but it can’t pick and choose when it can and can’t be used.
“Barring a practitioner from prescribing or using an otherwise approved device for a specific off-label indication would violate another FDCA section, which bars the FDA from regulating the ‘practice of medicine,’” Zinberg says.6 Further, according to a proposed rule in the March 26, 2024 Federal Register:7
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is proposing to ban electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) intended for self-injurious behavior (SIB) or aggressive behavior (AB). FDA has determined these devices present an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury that cannot be corrected or eliminated by labeling.
This proposal follows a court decision vacating a prior ban and amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act clarifying our authority to ban a device for one or more intended uses. This action, if finalized, will mean ESDs for SIB and AB are adulterated and not legally Marketed.”
Health Care Decisions Belong Between You and Your Doctor
When the FDA, and by proxy Big Pharma, oversteps its regulatory boundaries, it puts them at the helm of powerful health care decisions that should be made on an individual, personalized level between a patient and their health care provider. During the pandemic, it became clear how patients suffer when health agencies are allowed to dictate what medications doctors are allowed to prescribe to their patients.
The FDA’s refusal to allow transmucosal application to be listed on OTC progesterone labels is another example of industry stepping in the way of the practice of medicine. It’s safe to rub progesterone on your gums — and doing so is the preferred application.
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Consumer Alert — Is Your Grocer Misting Fresh Vegetables With Chemicals?
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The produce section in many grocery stores often contains tiny misters that spray a fine mist onto fruits and vegetables. While you may assume this is just water used to keep the produce fresh and moist, many stores actually use antimicrobial sprays.
Fortunately, one commonly used spray is based on hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is harmless and not a cause for concern. Still, to find truly chemical-free produce, your best choice is shopping your local farmers market and looking for organic, pesticide-free options.
Is Your Fresh Produce Covered in an Antimicrobial Spray?
A viral social media post brought attention to the practice of misting organic and conventionally grown produce in grocery stores. It featured photos taken in a Sprouts Farmers Market, which is a chain of health food stores based in Arizona.
There are close to 400 such stores in 23 states. A shopper noticed a Sterilox bottle in the produce section and took a picture — prompting Sarah Pope, founder of The Healthy Home Economist, to conduct her own investigation:1
“I normally do not shop there, but I stopped in any way to take a look to either confirm or disprove what the social media post was claiming. What I found 100% confirms what I saw on social media ... What exactly is the spray bottle hidden above the organic produce at the Sprouts store? It’s called Sterilox ... What exactly is in this stuff?
In a nutshell, Sterilox is a disinfectant approved by the FDA in 2007 for use as a food-safe sanitizer to be used when re-hydrating or rinsing fresh produce, including leafy green vegetables ...
Chemstar, the company that manufactures Sterilox has on their website a bottle of the stuff with organic produce in the background. At the Sprouts where I took the photograph, the Sterilox was right above the organic produce section. And yes, this stuff is allowed to be sprayed on organics!”
Chemstar’s "Sterilox Produce Maxx" product is an antimicrobial fruit and vegetable wash. The Sterilox system involves the electrolysis of a dilute salt solution (usually sodium chloride) to produce a mixture of HOCl and sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Hypochlorous acid is a powerful disinfectant and antimicrobial agent that is safe and effective against a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is commonly used in various industries for sanitation and disinfection purposes, including food processing, health care facilities and water treatment.
These systems are often used to generate on-site disinfectants for cleaning and sanitizing surfaces, equipment and produce. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which approved Sterilox in 2007:2
“The Sterilox System is already being used by leading U.S. retailers on produce in supermarkets ... the Sterilox Solution — which mimics the natural anti-microbial hypochlorous solution produced by the human body to fight pathogens — is highly effective at killing a broad range of pathogens and spoilage organisms including E.coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Listeria, norovirus, avian influenza, yeast, and molds.”
Chemstar aquired Sterilox in 20163 and added Produce Maxx to its range of chemical products, which include degreasers, oven cleaners, drain cleaners, disinfectants and restroom products.4 HOCI is also naturally produced by white blood cells in your body as part of the immune response to fight infections. According to the Cleveland Clinic:5
"HOCl exists in your body. It’s created by white blood cells as a defense system against infection, bacteria and general ickiness. HOCl attacks invading pathogens, breaking down the cell walls before destroying unhealthy invaders. The antimicrobial acid is lethally effective in carrying out its protective mission. (Think of it as your own internal Batman.)
‘It’s your body’s natural response to bacteria, and it is very effective at its job,’ says Dr. [Shilpi] Khetarpal."
HOCI Is Beneficial for Wound Care
Produce Maxx, which is just one type of antimicrobial spray used on produce, contains hypochlorous acid at a concentration of 6,000 parts per million (ppm). Another of HOCI’s many uses is for wound care, as it helps lower bacterial counts and supports healing.
One study involving 44 children found washing the abdominal cavity and wounds with HOCI significantly lowered the rate of surgical site infections, and no adverse effects were reported.6 HOCI is also effective for reducing bacteria in open wounds. According to a review in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery:7
"HOCl has been shown to be an effective agent in reducing wound bacterial counts in open wounds. In irrigation solution in an ultrasonic system, HOCl lowered the bacterial counts by 4 to 6 logs.
By the time of definitive closure, the bacterial counts were back up to 105 for the saline solution — irrigated control wounds but remained at 102 or lower for the HOCl-irrigated wounds. Postoperative closure failure occurred in more than 80% of patients in the saline solution group versus 25% of those in the HOCl group."
It's also useful for removing biofilms and is useful for reducing bacteria on toothbrushes. One study found it’s as effective as mouthwash for disinfecting toothbrushes.8 Animal studies also suggest HOCI is safe. In a study of 17 mice given free access to HOCI water, no abnormal findings or systemic effects were found.9
Produce Is Sprayed to Extend Shelf Life and Kill Pathogens
Grocers use Produce Maxx to keep produce fresher longer and reduce spoilage. According to Chemstar, the product can be used for crisping, washing, cut fruit preparation and misting. It lists an array of benefits, including:10
- Kills 99.999% of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in washing/crisping water
- Controls spoilage causing non-public health bacteria to enhance quality and shelf life
- Approved for use on whole or cut fruits and vegetables
- No potable water rinse required
The antimicrobial spray may be used on produce such as leafy greens and cantaloupe, as well as fresh cut fruit. According to Chemstar:11
"To keep up with time-starved consumers, the fresh cut fruits and vegetables has become a high value signature category for the produce department. Rinsing fresh cut fruits and vegetables in Produce Maxx reduces spoilage-causing non-public health bacteria to enhance shelf life of the product while also protecting against cross contamination."
Chemstar states the spray is not only useful for misting produce but also for cleaning equipment, including misting lines and heads, to keep them free of odor-causing bacteria. It’s part of their larger “total store solutions,” which include “tailored chemical programs” to encompass restroom, floor and kitchen care, hand hygiene and food sanitation, along with fresh produce and floral department solutions.12
If organic produce is washed with Produce Maxx it’s supposed to be rinsed to comply with organic standards. This isn’t the case when it’s used in misting lines, however, as it’s supposed to be more heavily diluted for that purpose.
Produce Maxx is used by more than 50 retail brands across more than 10,000 stores throughout North America, including grocery stores, convenience shops, kitchens and food service facilities.13
Should You Wash Your Produce?
It’s a good idea to wash fresh produce when you bring it home to help remove pesticide residues and other contaminants. A research team from the University of Massachusetts compared three methods of reducing toxins, such as pesticide residues, on produce.14 The team used apples to examine the effectiveness of commercial and homemade washing agents to remove pesticide residue.
They applied two common pesticides to organic Gala apples and then washed them with three different liquids: tap water, 1% baking soda water solution and an EPA-approved commercial bleach solution often used on produce. Using specialized analysis, the scientists found surface pesticide residues on apples were removed most effectively using baking soda.
While organic foods have a 30% lower risk of pesticide contamination,15 it's not entirely possible to guarantee organic produce is pesticide-free, as it is sometimes located in adjacent fields to farms where pesticides are used.
The research team believes the alkalinity of baking soda likely degrades pesticides faster, making it easier to physically remove the chemicals through washing. They recommended a concentration of 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 2 cups of water and gentle scrubbing.16
You may also reduce your exposure to foodborne pathogens from produce by using white vinegar, as the acidic vinegar crosses bacterial cell membranes and kills the cells.17 Before misting thoroughly with a blend of vinegar and water in a 1-to-3 ratio, ensure you’ve removed the baking soda, as it will neutralize the vinegar. Let the produce rest for 30 minutes and then wash it lightly under cold running water.
How to Find Chemical-Free Produce
If you’re looking for produce that doesn’t contain chemical residues, visit local farmers markets. Many small-scale farmers who sell at farmers markets use sustainable farming practices that minimize chemical inputs. Talk to the farmers directly to inquire about their growing practices. While not all farmers at farmers markets may be certified organic, many follow practices that align with organic principles.
Joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program is another option, as it allows you to receive regular deliveries of fresh produce directly from local farms. Many CSA farms prioritize sustainable and organic growing practices, providing members with access to high-quality, minimally processed produce.
In addition, consider growing your own fruits and vegetables using organic gardening methods. By controlling the growing environment and avoiding synthetic chemicals, you can ensure that your produce is as pure as possible.
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Schisandra — China's Most Potent Medicinal Berry
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published May 8, 2017.
While it may sound like a fantasy planet or a prescription drug, schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is neither, but it may end up affecting the reliance some have on medications. That's because schisandra, a berry that grows on woody, climbing vines in the cool subtropical forests of China's Upper Yangtze region and parts of Russia, is a bona fide superfood.
Known as a traditional curative for chronic coughs, incontinence, night sweats and insomnia for 2,000 years, the berry is gaining attention. Modern-day restaurants in China offer alcohol with a base of saturated schisandra berries, which patrons top up from tall glass containers, like lemonade at an American picnic.
But the flavor is not for the faint of heart. Amazingly, schisandra berries (sometimes spelled with a "z") feature all five of the taste senses at once, each denoting its own medicinal application, which experts at Learning Herbs1 say can be determined by the flavor:
- Sweet — Sweet herbs can help restore energy and balance your immune system.
- Salty — High in minerals, an example of a salty herb is nettle, which is used for its nourishing and diuretic effects.
- Sour — A perfect model for the sour taste, lemon water helps promote digestion and build strength and stamina.
- Bitter — As herbs, "bitters" are used to help stimulate digestion, modulate inflammation by exerting a cooling, draining effect on your body, akin to drinking coffee.
- Pungent — This taste is warming and spicy, awakening your senses; cayenne is a good example.
Schisandra berry is also called "five-flavored berry," or Wu Wei Zi. It's mainly used for medicinal applications, even though it's also been used as a base for everything from jams to juice. But as the Medicine Hunter2 notes, unlike goji or acai berries, "Nobody eats this stuff with yogurt."
A Berry With Mental and Physical Benefits
Therapeutically speaking, the schisandra berry is especially revered in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) because of its astounding health benefits. However, it first gained recognition in Russia in the 1960s, after 20 years of studies helped place it in the National Pharmacopoeia of the USSR and in the State Register of Drugs.
Its initial notoriety was as an adaptogen, which the Global Healing Center3 describes as a natural substance that helps your body adapt to stress. A Swedish study reports:4
"Pharmacological studies on animals have shown that Schizandra [sic] increases physical working capacity and affords a stress-protective effect against a broad spectrum of harmful factors including heat shock, skin burn, cooling, frostbite, immobilization, swimming under load in an atmosphere with decreased air pressure, aseptic inflammation, irradiation and heavy metal intoxication.
The phytoadaptogen exerts an effect on the central nervous, sympathetic, endocrine, immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal systems, on the development of experimental atherosclerosis, on blood sugar and acid-base balance, and on uterus myotonic (atrophying) activity."
Medicine Hunter5 lists several of the physical and mental effects provided by the schisandra berry, as studies have indicated:
Slow signs of aging |
Increase energy |
Enhance athletic performance |
Prevent mental fatigue |
Reduce stress |
Enhance your libido |
Promote endurance |
Improve concentration |
Improve mental health |
Maintain healthy cells |
Sharpen memory |
Prolong life |
Learning Herbs6 cites studies that indicate the schisandra berry also helps promote sleep, relieve anxiety, ease digestive troubles such as chronic diarrhea and support your immune system, even in cases of severe hepatitis B.
Illnesses and Conditions Improved by Schisandra Berries
The list of diseases, disorders and conditions this little red berry is said to help treat successfully is truly remarkable. Many of them are based on its potency as an antioxidant, including:
• Cancer protection — The International Journal of Molecular Medicine published a study7 that revealed schisandrin C, a phytochemical found in schisandra berries, as a "promising" anticancer agent, as it inhibited human leukemia cell growth.
• Improved heart function — While the drug adriamycin is used to stop breast cancer cell proliferation, it can cause cardiotoxicity, decreased heart function, abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity and congested liver.
The active ingredients in schisandra berry, however, reportedly have beneficial effects on cardiotoxicity in rats due to free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage healthy cells. It also helped inhibit lipid peroxidation and reduced mortality in rats.8
• Helps lower the risk for liver damage — A study9 in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology noted that Schisandra chinensis protects against liver injury from the cancer-causing agent carbon tetrachloride.
Mice were treated with carbon tetrachloride to induce liver injury, then treated with a schisandra pollen extract. Results showed elevated antioxidant activity, inhibiting increased liver enzymes (higher levels of liver enzymes indicate liver disease) and lowered free radical formation in the animals' livers.
• Anti-inflammatory advantages — One study10 indicated that adding schisandra berries to your diet may protect you from inflammation and that supplementation may be useful for preventing inflammatory diseases.
The attention on the plant that produces tiny, bright red berries represents more than just its medicinal importance. The schisandra berry's home is known as one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, which is now undergoing a "dramatic new approach to conservation," according to the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN).11
How to Save an Ecosystem and the 'Gatherers' Who Serve the World
Not so long ago, a sad ending for the schisandra vine looked imminent. In China, portions of farmland are allotted to families. In the Upper Yangtze, farmers began pooling their resources to grow crops on the mountain slopes to sell for extra cash. As forests were logged out to make way for more farmlands, mudslides began decimating the mountains and forests, destroying many of the rare medicinal plants.
Commercial harvest of magnolia bulbs (used for inflammation, anxiety, stroke and asthma12), and angelica roots (aka dong quai, popular as an aphrodisiac and a balancing agent for hormones13), were destroyed, as well as the fragile habitat for the endangered giant panda.
Eventually, the 1990s brought government bans on hillside timber harvest, and then on farm operation on the mountain slopes in an initiative they called "Grain for Green," but it backfired. The problem escalated rather than being resolved, according to FERN:14
"It was salvation for the forests, but the farmers had to scramble to replace the lost income. Families started gathering more wild plants than ever, ripping entire schisandra vines from trees to get as many berries as possible. This not only killed the plants, but also spread the foragers' human scent, scaring panda mothers who then abandoned their babies."
It looked like the end of the story for the schisandra berry, and a new period of trouble for the villagers, until Josef Brinckmann, an ethnobotanist and research fellow in medicinal plants at Traditional Medicinals tea company, arrived in 2008. His remedy for the situation was to encourage wild harvest, not prohibit it.
Wild Plant Gathering — A New Chapter for Schisandra Berries
According to a report from Kew Gardens' State of the World's Plants, two-fifth of the world's plant species is facing threats of extinction.15 As Brinckmann put it, "The biggest threat to biodiversity is farming and development, not over-harvesting wild plants."
Brinckmann was on a team that included members of the World Wildlife Federation and the Swiss and German governments in the creation of the FairWild Standard, the first verification system in the native plant industry to focus on improving both environmental conditions and labor practices.
FairWild's investment in overseeing sustainable practices of the Upper Yangtze villagers impacted whole communities and possibly saved not only schisandra berry but other natural, plant-based foods and medicines as well. As a result, FERN continues:
"Around the world, 19 plant species in 10 countries are now certified under FairWild, and at least 1,000 households in Central Europe and Asia are involved. That amounts to about 300 tons of plant material each year, with Roma collectors in Hungary and Bosnia filling sacks with rose hips and nettles, while families in Kazakhstan dig for licorice roots."16
Something else occurred that turned villagers' receding incomes into a national crisis — a massive earthquake that hit the Upper Yangtze in 2008 and not only killed 69,000 people but left nearly 5 million homeless. At that point, harvesting wild plants became a national priority.
How Schisandra Berry Harvest Practices Became 'Sustainable'
Rather than tearing out every schisandra berry vine they could find, Brinckmann and fellow researchers explained to villagers how imperative it was for future yields to harvest only the bottom two-thirds of the vines so that birds and other wildlife could continue "seeding" the mountain forests.
At the same time, collectors also learned that giant panda breeding areas should be avoided. After a 17% rise in the panda population, experts cheerfully reported their effort "seems to be working," as the beloved animal's status moved upward from "endangered" to "threatened."
Indigenous groups around the world are still being trained under FairWild in sustainable harvesting techniques. As contractors, they're now able to sell their products for what they're worth. Further, villagers are compensated for protecting the land — and as keepers of the local, botanical expertise, that's often as ancient as their native cultures.
Some of the contractors are elderly, as well as women and children who would struggle to survive otherwise, and they take responsibility for many rare plants that around 80% of the world relies on for food and medicine.
The schisandra berry project alone is now a cooperative between 23 villages, involving buyer contracts that give families a 30% profit above market rate. Additionally, when one wants to add new plants to the FairWild list, they're responsible for designing not only a plan to manage its harvest, but also the entire microecosystem in which it grows.
Schisandra Berry Supplementation
From all the above information, it's easy to see why these little berries are becoming so well-known in the West and so desirable as a supplement. As Medicine Hunter notes:17
"You can find schisandra in a couple of forms. In Chinese groceries and medicine shops, you can find dried schisandra berries. Just a few dried berries daily will impart the benefits described there. Or, you can also find schisandra supplements. Look for ones that are standardized to the schisandrins, which are active compounds."
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Flax Is Not a Health Food — Stop Consuming It and Use It to Paint Instead
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When evaluating something as a ‘health food’ — we have to put our ‘metabolism lenses’ on. Does this improve metabolism and thus long-term health? Or, are there potentially some minute short-term benefits that come with long-term consequences and a down-regulation of metabolism? (Which will negatively impact health.)
There is really good marketing out there trying to convince us that ingredients historically used as paint are now a superfood. (Because it is extremely profitable!) One example is flaxseed and flaxseed oil — you should not be consuming these! And to better understand why, let’s briefly review why it works really well for paint!
The principal use of the oil in flax in the past has been in paints, coating and other industrial uses — the fibers were used to make fishing nets, ropes, and sailcloths and the linseed oil obtained from the flax plant has been one of the most important binders for oil paint for more than 500 years.
Flax is rich in an omega-3 polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) alpha-linoleic, C18:3. PUFAs contain 2 or more double bonds (shown in green, below), and each double bond in the fat makes it more unstable and prone to oxidation.
The longer the chains of these PUFA get (such as ALA), the more unsaturated and unstable they become.
How Flaxseed Went From Paint to ‘Health Food’
Flaxseed oil or flax oil is technically synonymous with the term ‘linseed oil,’ as both refer to the oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant. The oil is obtained by pressing, sometimes involving a lot of chemicals for more industrial uses. Some refer to the ‘edible’ oil as flaxseed oil, and the industrial use as linseed oil. But the fatty acid composition of flaxseed oil or linseed oil (used interchangeably) are both PUFA rich.
Linseed oil works well as a paint due to its high level of PUFAs — all of those double bonds make them extremely prone to oxidation. In fact, linseed oil is classified as a "drying oil," meaning it transitions from a liquid to a solid film through oxidative reactions.
“When this flax oil is exposed to air, the double bonds of ALA react with oxygen and result in relatively soft, durable film. This property is known as ‘drying’ quality of linseed oil.”1
However, newer petroleum products started to enter the market in place of linseed oil since they could be made cheaper, and this led to the reduced reliance on flax.2 So, the flax industry needed to find another market for it — enter the health food market and lots of marketing!
“50 years ago, paints and varnishes were made of soy oil, safflower oil, and linseed (flax seed) oil. Then chemists learned how to make paint from petroleum, which was much cheaper. As a result, the huge seed oil industry found its crop increasingly hard to sell.
Around the same time, farmers were experimenting with poisons to make their pigs get fatter with less food, and they discovered that corn and soy beans served the purpose, in a legal way.
The crops that had been grown for the paint industry came to be used for animal food. Then these foods that made animals get fat cheaply came to be promoted as foods for humans, but they had to direct attention away from the fact that they are very fattening. The 'cholesterol' focus was just one of the marketing tools used by the oil industry.
Unfortunately it [the false claims about cholesterol & saturated fat] is the one that has lasted the longest, even after the unsaturated oils were proven to cause heart disease as well as cancer.” ~ Dr. Ray Peat
Flax Is High in Estrogenic Compounds Too
Have you ever noticed that flax oils can only be purchased in dark containers, and must be stored in the fridge? (They oxidize in the presence of heat and oxygen). Can you imagine what happens when you consume this and put it in your warm, oxygen-rich body? (The inside of our body should be 98.6 deg F.) And yes, flax contains some fiber but still has a lot of PUFAs.
• Per 100 grams:
◦ The oil extracted out of flax contains 100 grams of fat with 14.3 grams of linoleic acid and 53.4 grams of ALA.
◦ Whole flax contains less fat (42.4 grams) since there is fiber, but still 5.9 grams linoleic acid and 22.8 grams ALA.
You can get these fibers in from other foods without all this PUFA. But there are other negative health consequences outside of the high susceptibility to oxidation. Flaxseeds contain a type of phytoestrogen called lignans. Phytoestrogens act like estrogen in the body (and we do not need more estrogen in modern times). “[L]ignans that are structurally similar to known estrogenic compounds.”3
Another example of a well-known phytoestrogen is isoflavones in soy. Well, flax is 20 times stronger than soy when it comes to the estrogenic impact!
Dr. Hobbins is a former surgeon who pioneered breast cancer detection through mammography and thermography. Dr. Hobbins and Wendy Sellers have hundreds of thermogram images showing striking visual evidence that estrogenic foods (including flax) promote vascularization and angiogenesis in the breast tissue, increasing the risk of breast cancer.4
Misinformed health care workers and manipulated studies are promoting these phytoestrogenic foods as cancer-preventing — when instead they could be making matters worse!
Add on top of this that the accumulation of PUFAs in tissues promotes the action of estrogen by activating aromatase AND people with lower metabolic rates are pooping less and less (pooping isn’t just to get rid of food waste, it is also a way to get rid of used hormones and other toxins in the body! So not pooping every day will cause some estrogen re-absorption).
Are You Really Low in Estrogen?
In this estrogenic and PUFA rich world — no wonder hormonal imbalances are rampant, and testosterone is plummeting in men! Many people believe that they are LOW in estrogen due to bloodwork. Unfortunately, serum estrogen levels are NOT representative of estrogen that has been stored in tissues. Estrogen can be low in plasma, but high in tissues.5
And when stored estrogen is assessed, most people are estrogen dominant due to high PUFA diets and exposure to environmental estrogens from pesticides and plastics. And for women, add on many years of birth control loading up on exogenous estrogen! So you likely do not need more estrogenic foods (like flax).
A simple way to gauge estrogen storage in fat and tissues is a simple prolactin blood test, as prolactin blood tests can be used as a proxy for stored estrogen since estrogen promotes the production of prolactin. Ideally prolactin is less than 10 ng/mL.
Excess PUFA Lowers Thyroid Function
Another reason to not eat flax — excess PUFA consumption lowers thyroid and metabolism — as thyroid hormone (the master metabolic regulator) is blocked at the production,6 transport,7 and cellular action8 steps by PUFA.
“Fatty acids inhibited the binding of T3 to both receptor proteins (TR-alpha and TR-beta) … The effectiveness of inhibition depends on the chain length and degree of saturation of the fatty acids.”9
Further, PUFAs block proper carb metabolism more so than saturated fats10 by inhibiting the function of the PDH enzyme11,12 and cytochrome C oxidase13 — two vital components in glucose metabolism. And the negative effect on glucose metabolism increases with chain length and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids.14 In fact, flax consumption has been shown to make you more insulin resistant and hinder carb utilization.15,16
Flax Inhibits Cholesterol Production
Another undesirable trait of flax is that it lowers endogenous production of cholesterol — which may sound good initially. But cholesterol is the building block of steroid hormones, and lowering cholesterol through estrogenic foods like flax will lower testosterone in males and progesterone in females. Plus, anything that suppresses your cholesterol synthesis increases the risk of cancer (like statins).
The best way to lower elevated cholesterol levels is to improve thyroid (which will still allow the body to make adequate androgens). Hormones are a downstream effect and should not try to be manipulated through estrogenic-rich foods. Fix metabolism and thyroid health, and hormonal balance will come easier! Instead of flax, try:
- Reducing PUFA consumption and instead prioritize saturated fats
- Lowering plastic exposure
- Consuming carbohydrates to boost thyroid and metabolism (adequate thyroid is essential for both the production of progesterone and the detoxification of estrogen by the liver)
- Supplementing with bio identical progesterone, as needed (adequate progesterone levels help keep estrogen in check)
- Ensuring adequate Vitamin B6 consumption (serves as a prolactin inhibitor)
Transform Your Health — One Step at a Time
Ashley and her sister Sarah have put together a truly groundbreaking step-by-step course called “Rooted in Resilience.” They have compiled what clearly is the best application of Dr. Ray Peat’s work on Bioenergetic Medicine that I have ever seen.
It is so good that I am using the core of their program to teach the many Health Coaches that I am in the process of training for the new Mercola Health Clinics I am opening this fall. It took these women working nearly full-time on this project for a year to create it.
This has to be one of the absolute best values for health education I have ever seen. If you want to understand why you struggle with health problems and then have a clear program on how to reverse those challenges, then this is the course for you.
It is precisely the type of program I wish I would have had access to when I got out of medical school. I fumbled around for decades before I reached the conclusion they discuss in the course and share with you so you can restore your cellular energy production and recover your health.
Select and eat the right foods to heal your metabolism and improve glucose utilization |
Balance your hormones to help reduce anxiety, weight gain and sleep disturbances |
Use reverse dieting to increase your calories without gaining weight and tanking your metabolism, all while improving your energy levels |
Heal your gut for proper immune function, mood and weight management |
Tweak your diet and lifestyle habits to improve your mindset and mental health |
Crush your fitness goals with ease and get your life back on track |
Master the most essential habits for health with bonus guides, including over 100 meal plans to take the stress out of meal time planning and shopping, and so much more! |
Learn more about Rooted in Resilience here.
About the Author
Ashley Armstrong is the cofounder of Angel Acres Egg Co., which specializes in low-PUFA (polyunsaturated fat) eggs that are shipped to all 50 states (join waitlist here), and Nourish Cooperative, which ships low-PUFA pork, beef, cheese, A2 dairy and traditional sourdough to all 50 states. Waitlists will reopen shortly.
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Broccoli Sprouts Provide Greater Benefits Than Full-Grown Broccoli
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Cruciferous vegetables, which include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli are nutritional powerhouses. Notable for their bitter taste and slightly sulfurous smell when cooked, they are loaded with powerful nutrients and minerals.
Broccoli, in particular, is famous for being a rich source of glucosinolates, the sulfur-containing compound responsible for its smell, flavor and a myriad of health benefits1 that range from cancer fighting properties to heart health.
The best health promoting nutrient in broccoli is sulforaphane. It was first identified as having chemoprotective properties in the 1990s and has been widely studied since for its health benefits.2 Broccoli sprouts contain 10 to 100 times more sulforaphane than full grown broccoli.3
Nutrients In Cruciferous Vegetables Spark Interest, Health Debate
The glucosinolates that occur naturally in cruciferous vegetables react with the human enzymes during chewing to form isothiocyanates (ITC). Sulforaphane is classified as an isothiocyanate.
ITCs are the subject of considerable interest to researchers due to their anti-carcinogenic activities and ability to promote detoxification.4 Unfortunately, sulforaphane is also an anti-thyroid substance or goitrin.5 Goitrins are organosulfur compounds also found in cruciferous vegetables and are why broccoli is viewed as having a negative impact on thyroid health.
This is where the subject of cruciferous vegetable can get tricky. Boiling and blanching effectively destroys the goitrogenic properties of cruciferous vegetables but also strips them of benefits provided by ITC components like sulforaphane.
Moreover, you would have to consume pounds of raw cruciferous vegetables daily to obtain clinical levels of sulforaphane.6 Both of these potential pitfalls can be avoided by switching to broccoli sprouts.7
How You Can Benefit From Sulforaphane
Before reviewing the advantages of broccoli sprouts and how to grow your own, let us review just a few of the beneficial properties attributed to sulforaphane and other ITCs found in cruciferous vegetables. Sulforaphane has been widely studied and the scope of its potential benefits is remarkable. For example:
- A 2017 study8 found it was effective in treating moderate to severe autism.
- The British Journal of Nutrition discovered elderly Western Australian women who ate more cruciferous vegetables had a lower risk of extensive calcium buildup in their aortas.
- A 2015 study9 examined isothiocyanates (ITCs), most prominently sulforaphane and determined broccoli consumption is beneficial for the heart.
- It also boosts liver enzymes that fight cancer causing environmental toxins.10
- 2023 Frontiers in Oncology study11 stated, "Sulforaphane (SFN) is one of these naturally occurring agents and studies have shown that it is able to target a specific cancer cell population displaying stem-like properties, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs)."
Additional Benefits of Broccoli: ICZ and Leaky Gut
Sulforaphane has been the subject of study in 3,000 rodent studies, 50 clinical trials and countless preclinical examinations.12 It is but one of the many nutrients found in cruciferous vegetables.
A recent study13 found broccoli helps heal leaky gut and colitis. Leaky gut is a serious and underdiagnosed condition that occurs when gaps form in the membrane of your intestinal wall, which can lead to inflammation, skin disorders, food intolerances, allergic reactions and neuropsychological disorders.14
Indolocarbazole (ICZ) can boost your immune function and improve your microbiome health by binding to your gut wall and activating receptors. Like sulforaphane, it is created during the process of eating cruciferous veggies. To achieve a level necessary to address leaky guy, you would need to eat 3.5 cups of broccoli daily.
However, Brussels sprouts contain three times more ICZ, so a single cup would suffice. Broccoli sprouts are also a source of ICZ and have shown great potential for addressing gut dysfunction.15
Optimizing Your Veggie Consumption With Broccoli Sprouts
With all these impressive studies in hand, you may wonder how much sulforaphane you should consume. The USDA recommends 2.5 to 3.5 cups of vegetables daily but do not specify recommendations for cruciferous vegetables.16
They do, however, distinguish between leafy vegetables and beans, peas and lentils.17 I strongly urge you to limit lectins, an anti-nutrient linked to inflammation and autoimmune reactions that are found in beans, grains, legumes and members of the nightshade family.
Consuming a sufficient quantity of full-grown, raw broccoli may pose a challenge. This is just one reason why broccoli sprouts can be an indispensable component of your diet. Broccoli sprouts are far more nutrient dense and require a far smaller quantity to obtain the same levels of nutrients like ICZ and ITCs such as sulforaphane.
Studies on broccoli florets and sprouts and the impact goitrins may have on your health are also promising. Full-grown broccoli, in the form of broccoli florets, were rated as having the lowest anti-thyroid potential of any cruciferous vegetable.18 According to another study,19 "In animals with hypothyroidism, broccoli sprouts were found to exert a beneficial influence on the antioxidant balance of the thyroid gland."
The National Academy of Sciences researchers also concluded20 that "Small quantities of crucifer sprouts may protect against the risk of cancer as effectively as much larger quantities of mature vegetables of the same variety."
Growing a Broccoli Sprout Garden
I encourage everyone to grow their own food. It does not take much space to grow broccoli sprouts and they pack a huge nutritional punch. They also can be cultivated indoors throughout the year. Compared to mature broccoli, you can grow sprouts more quickly and they have more concentrated nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fewer antinutrients.
You may be surprised to learn that the turnaround time for growing broccoli sprouts is not much more than a week. Sprouts are among the easiest and least labor-intensive options. For a step-by-step guide on how to grow sunflower sprouts, see the video above. These same techniques can be applied to other sprouted seeds.
Once you identify a suitable space and acquire your sprouting seeds, you are just days away from having a supply of broccoli sprouts. Here is a step-by-step guide to growing your sprouts.
- Get a tray that fits your space, ceramic tiles and ballast of 5 to 10 pounds to place on the tiles while the seeds are germinating.
- It is possible to grow sprouts in jars but soil is easier and produces more abundant food.
- Place your seeds in a bowl that contains three times more volume of clean, cool water and soak the seeds for eight hours.
- You can recycle the soaking water into a watering can or other container to water your other plants.
- Rinse the seeds and leave them out of the water for 24 hours or until sprouts begin to germinate.
- Fill your tray or growing container halfway with soil and spread the seeds evenly over the soil.
- Water until the soil is moist but not dripping.
- Cover the soil with ceramic tiles and 5- to 10-pound weights.
- Remove the tiles every 24 hours to water the sprouts for two to four days, replacing the tiles between waterings.
- Once sprouts begin to emerge and lift the tiles, remove tiles and place the tray in a sunny area.
- Harvest sprouts after two to three more days.
Safeguard Your Food Security Against Crop Failures and Diminished Yields
It is impossible to miss that growing food shortages and inflation are quickly becoming the norm. This hardship is not the result of failing policies but is part of the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset.
The world is slowly awakening to this technocratic takeover. Intentionally incompetent regulatory decisions and policies are being implemented under the guise of science. Upheaval and privatization are sure to follow. There are several steps you can take to meet your basic food needs and prepare for the likely coming shortages.
Obtaining organic seeds — Obtaining, storing and using non-GMO organic seeds is the first step to safeguarding your food supply. Propagating organic seeds from organically grown plants is the most sustainable solution to food insecurity. Seeking out high-quality organic seeds is a great starting point. They produce the most robust plants and healthiest food. |
Save seeds from your best plants — Save seed from your own best performing plants, on your land and in your own ecosystem, gradually developing varieties better adapted to your own soil, climate and growing conditions. |
Growing food at home — Growing as much fresh food as possible is foundational to safeguarding your food supply. Sprouts grow quickly and are packed with nutrients. They require little space are a great starting point. Stocking up on sprouting seeds is a must. |
Keeping chickens — Local regulations often permit chickens, which can supply a steady stream of eggs. Keep in mind that the chickens also require feed. If you are fortunate enough to have the space to homestead, there are mobile chicken coops that allow your birds to eat free range while protecting them from predators. |
Gardening — Gardens can vary greatly in size. Ideally, space for an orchard would allow a diversity of crops. Whether you are supplementing your diet from a small plot or capable of full self-sufficiency. |
Canning and pickling — These are basic food storage skills that your grandparents or great grandparents likely mastered. In challenging times, you will certainly benefit by adopting these proven methods, which are especially important in areas with a short growing season. |
Prepare for Food Insecurity With Minimal Growing Space
If you do not have sufficient land to grow your own food, consider joining a food co-op. You can also keep food on hand in the form of shelf-stable and non-perishable items. Dry staples like rice and beans last far beyond their listed expiration date. They are best stored in sealed, food grade buckets with oxygen absorbers. Freeze dried foods can last a quarter century or even more.
Whey, protein powders, and canned fish (avoid ones in vegetable oil) can add balance to your diet in times of scarcity. Vacuum sealing food is another option. For optimal storage, use a cool, dark area. You can also build a pantry if you live in a rental unit without a basement.
These actionable practices, while not without labor or expense, can provide necessary security. In the event you need to fall back on your supplies, you will be thankful for the availability of nutritionally potent and easy to grow broccoli sprouts.
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How Iodine Deficiency Increases Your Risk for Chronic Illnesses
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published November 1, 2017.
Iodine is essential to your health. Unfortunately, data collected by the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has revealed a significant drop in median urine iodine values.1 The median iodine level measured in urine samples was 320 micrograms per liter (mcg/L) between 1971 and 1974. By 1988, it dropped to 145 mcg/L. Surveys taken in the years since show levels have stabilized, except in pregnant women whose median urine level dropped further to 125 mcg/L.
Many people don't know they need to consume a little iodine each day to maintain healthy levels of this essential micronutrient. Your body uses iodine across several organ systems, but it is most commonly known to synthesize thyroid hormones that regulate nearly every bodily system. Several thyroid hormones secreted by your thyroid gland are transported throughout your body where they control your metabolism and energy production.2
This means that every cell in your body depends on the production and function of thyroid hormones. Your thyroid gland is under the control of your pituitary gland that is located at the base of your brain. In turn, the pituitary gland is under the control of your hypothalamus. In other words, there are several steps needed to identify low thyroid hormone levels and to tell your thyroid gland to begin secreting more.
A 2017 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition3 evaluated the iodine levels of cow's milk and milk alternatives in search of a potential reason for this growing iodine insufficiency.
Milk Substitutes Are Low in Iodine
Researchers from the University of Surrey evaluated the iodine content in 47 milk alternatives and compared those levels to cow's milk. The researchers included almond, soy, coconut, rice and hazelnut milk alternatives, but excluded products marketed specifically for infant consumption.4 They discovered the majority of brands did not have adequate levels of iodine as compared to cow's milk. Most contained only 2% of that found in cow's milk.
Only three milk alternatives were fortified with iodine.5 This means that opting for a milk alternative may increase your risk of developing an iodine deficiency, as the milk alternatives tested only provided 2 mcg per serving,6 while 2 cups of cow's milk will cover your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iodine.7
Statistically speaking, you may have difficulty absorbing milk products, which means you would have a negative reaction when you drink cow's milk. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, approximately 65% of all people have difficulty digesting lactose after infancy.8
Lactose is the sugar found in cow's milk. This intolerance or allergic reaction to milk sugar is the reason some turn to milk alternatives. Margaret Rayman, professor of nutritional medicine at the University of Surrey, said:9
“Many people are unaware of the need for this vital dietary mineral and it is important that people who consume milk-alternative drinks realize that they will not be replacing the iodine from cows’ milk which is the main UK source of iodine. This is particularly important for pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy.
A glass of a milk-alternative drink would only provide around 2 mcg of iodine which is a very small proportion of the adult recommended iodine intake of 150 mcg/day. In pregnancy, that recommendation goes up to 200 mcg/day.”
Iodine — An Essential Micronutrient
Iodine is an essential micronutrient that helps alkalize your body's pH, provides your thyroid with the necessary nutrients to produce thyroid hormones, protects against cancer and is a natural antibacterial agent. In this short video, iodine expert Dr. Jorge Flechas explains how iodine affects your health well beyond your thyroid gland.
Your thyroid hormones are essential for normal growth and development in children, neurological development in babies before birth and in the first year of life, and in regulating your metabolism.10 Deficiency may be most damaging to the developing brain and could result in miscarriage, preterm birth or neurological impairment in a newborn.
Before moving forward, let's clarify the difference between iodine and iodide. Iodine is the molecule that is taken up by cells in the body. However, iodine is not very available in food and supplements. Iodide, having greater stability, is the form typically found in supplements. In your body, the iodide molecule is converted into iodine, which is the active form needed by your thyroid gland.
The RDA is 150 mcg per day for adults, 220 mcg/day for pregnant women and 290 mcg/day for women who are breastfeeding.11 However, as evidenced by dropping levels of median urine levels, most adults are not consuming enough iodine each day to meet the minimum levels required for health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defined iodine deficiency in large populations as median urinary concentrations of 99 mcg/L or less.12 These low levels of iodine would likely result in visible symptoms, such as a goiter (swelling of the thyroid gland), hypothyroidism or pregnancy-related problems. More insidious are problems with subclinical deficiency, or levels that can't support optimal health but are not low enough to create immediate life-threatening problems.
Your Risks of Subclinical Iodine Deficiency
Risks of subclinical iodine deficiency are not limited to pregnancy and infant neurological development or weight gain. Nearly 2 billion people worldwide don't get enough iodine in their diet, and 50 million suffer from brain damage caused by the deficiency.13 This may very well be the most preventable cause of brain damage in infants and children, and yet 36.5% of children are estimated to have an iodine deficiency.14
Even a small deficiency in an adult's iodine level may reduce your IQ by up to 15 points,15 which may affect your ability to get a job and keep it. Subclinical iodine deficiency, also known as iodine deficiency disorder (IDD), is subtler than a goiter and may be more dangerous.
Iodine helps lower the risk for reductive stress that may lead to chronic diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis and arthritis.16 When your thyroid is not fully functional it can also lead to heart disease. Other tissues in your body also use iodine in appreciable amounts, including:
Salivary glands — Low levels of iodine may lead to dry mouth. |
Skin — Your body uses iodine in the development of skin, teeth, nails and bones. Low levels of iodine may lead to acne.17 |
Eyes — Iodine is an antioxidant that naturally protects your eyes against ultraviolet radiation.18 |
Immune system — Iodine is a scavenger of free hydroxyl radicals and stimulates the activity of other antioxidants.19 |
Muscles — Iodine deficiency may lead to pain, fibromyalgia and muscle weakness.20 |
Pancreas — Radioactive iodine therapy is a common therapy in thyroid cancer. Studies demonstrate that radioactive iodine is absorbed by the pancreas and predisposes you to glucose intolerance.21 |
Stomach — Iodine is used by the cells lining your stomach to concentrate chloride to produce hydrochloric acid used in the digestion of your food.22 |
Iodine Protects You Against Cancer
Iodine functions in a protective role against the growth of cancer cells. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, researchers have found that cancer cells shrink after injection with iodine and some die and are then replaced with healthy cells.23 Iodine is also involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death necessary for the development of new cells and removal of malignant or diseased cells.
The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased worldwide, driven in part by better screening that may pick up small benign tumors, which otherwise would not have caused a medical problem. However, this has also coincided in the U.S. with a reduction of iodine intake.24 Some studies have suggested that prophylactic iodine in deficient populations may reduce the diagnosis of more aggressive forms of thyroid cancer.
Iodine is also vital to breast health in women who are breastfeeding and in older women. A deficiency may lead to fibrocystic disease or breast cancer.25 Human breast tissue and breast milk contain higher concentrations of iodine than your thyroid gland, as iodine is essential to the development of a newborn's brain.
However, it also plays an important role in the health of the breast tissue as it exerts a powerful antioxidant effect. Breast tissue deficient in iodine has elevated markers of lipid peroxidation, one of the early signs of cancer development.26
Breast tissue that is iodine-deficient also demonstrates increases in estrogen receptor proteins and alterations in DNA.27 When a woman's iodine levels are low, it stimulates the ovaries to produce more estrogen, which stimulates growth in breast tissue. Iodine also helps regulate cortisol, which is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.28 When you compare Japanese and Western diets against the incidence of cancers, these differences become even more apparent.
Breast cancer rates for women living in Japan and eating a diet high in iodine are 66% lower than for American women.29 However, once a Japanese woman moves to the U.S., her breast cancer rate rises to the level of American women.30 Cells that line your stomach also capitalize on the antioxidant effects of iodine.
Those living in iodine-deficient populations have a higher incidence of goiters and stomach cancers.31 An increase in iodine intake has been strongly correlated with a reduction in the incidence of stomach cancer.32
Iodine Deficiency Affects More Women Than Men
Women are much more likely to develop symptoms of hypothyroidism.33 Edward Toromanyan, chief endocrinologist of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, notes,34 "According to different research, women are having problems with thyroid gland three to 10 times more than men. This also applies to toxic goiter and insufficiency of thyroid hormones."
In the U.S., hypothyroidism disproportionately affects women more than men, likely because the female hormone estrogen inhibits the absorption of iodine, while testosterone may promote the absorption of iodine.35 Therefore, what little iodine you consume from your diet is absorbed and used differently based on your gender.
According to Flechas, hypothyroidism is associated with 80% to 90% free estrogen levels. This means the lack of iodine increases free estrogen levels that stimulate growth in breast tissue. The normal value of free estrogen is 40% to 60%. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism is associated with only 20% free estrogen. The interplay of estrogen, thyroid hormone and iodine is a complex mechanism and increases a woman's risk of iodine deficiency.
Chemicals in Your Environment Also Block Iodine Absorption
While women have a greater incidence of iodine deficiency related to their hormone production, everyone experiences poor absorption and utilization related to environmental contamination. Some contaminants that compete with iodine include:
• Fluoride — Fluoride is a halogen that has an atomic weight lighter than iodine and can grab receptor sites more easily, thus taking the place of iodine resulting in a deficiency in your thyroid, stomach cells, ovaries and other organs.
• Bromide — Iodine used to be used in processing flour. However, manufacturers have replaced it with bromide, another halogen with a lower atomic weight than iodine.36 This switch effectively reduced your consumption of iodine and injected an element that competes with iodine in your body.
• Perchlorate — This is a contaminant found in the groundwater across the U.S. and in measurable amounts in milk, fruit and vegetables.37 In high doses, perchlorate may inhibit the function of your thyroid gland, but even in low doses, it inhibits the uptake of iodine by your thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism.38
• Nitrates — This may interfere with the uptake of iodine in your thyroid.39 Avoid added nitrates you find in processed meats, such as luncheon meat, sausage, bacon, hot dogs and some packaged seafood.40
• Mercury — There is evidence that iodine may help detoxify your body of toxic mercury,41 found in fish, dental amalgams and consumer products such as antiques, electronics, batteries, light bulbs and pharmaceutical products.42
Iodine Sources
Before the 1920s, the Great Lakes, Appalachians and Northwestern regions of the U.S. were known as the "goiter belt," as 26% to 70% of children suffered from goiter.43 An iodine prophylaxis program was begun in Ohio in 1917 with over 2,100 schoolgirls. In the following years, the researchers found a significantly decreased frequency of goiter in the girls who received the iodine supplement over those who did not.
It wasn't until 1924, after a successful iodination program in Switzerland and spurred by a series of reports, that table salt was fortified with iodine. However, research has found varying degrees of iodine in salt labeled iodized, and 53% of the samples had much less iodine than was listed on the label.44 Experts believe the declining levels of iodine in the U.S. population may be the result of several factors, including:
Eating less salt in the mistaken belief that it is bad for your heart |
Consuming more dairy substitutes low in iodine, such as almond, hazelnut or hemp milk |
Snacking on junk foods that are not salted with iodized salt |
Eating foods grown in iodine-depleted soil |
Drinking less dairy, which is often a primary source of iodine |
Eating little to no iodine-rich sea plants, such as kelp |
Foods that contain higher amounts of iodine include sea vegetables, such as kelp, kombu and wakame.45 Kelp has the highest amount of any food and just one serving gives you four times the RDA. You can read more about the restorative benefits of kelp in my previous article, "Seaweed Is the Next Trendy Superfood."
Organic, grass fed butter is another source of iodine and healthy fats in your diet. Grass fed butter is also high in vitamins, glycosphingolipids and conjugated linoleic acids that are important to support your overall health. You can read more about the benefits of grass fed butter in my article, "Butter Is Booming."
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Are You Feeding Your Soul or the Enemy?
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Reflecting on your thoughts and feelings helps you understand your own behaviors, desires and conflicts more deeply. This self-awareness can improve personal relationships and increase emotional intelligence, ultimately contributing to a more balanced and satisfying life, with ripple effects across society.
Yet, the modern world actively works against the ability to nurture your intuition and feed your soul, instead, as investigative journalist Corey Lynn puts it, feeding the enemy.1 The enemy in this case isn’t a person or group, but rather destructive forces or influences that you may unknowingly support or contribute to, in the context of social media and elsewhere.
This "enemy" thrives on the chaos, division and negativity perpetuated through social media platforms. It symbolizes the harmful outcomes of collective engagement in fear, misinformation and distraction, leading you away from personal growth and inner peace.
By participating in these destructive cycles, you inadvertently "feed the enemy" instead of nurturing your own soul. Fortunately, there are concrete steps you can take to overcome fear and find joy in your life, many of which are detailed in my upcoming book, “The Power of Choice.”
Is Your Mind Being Programmed?
“Mind conditioning and programming have always been the game,” according to Lynn.2 Even common symbols and campaigns in your daily life may manipulate public perception and thought patterns, serving the interests of manipulative entities. Lynn uses the example of the letter X used as a form of symbolic conditioning by, for instance, Twitter. Lynn writes:3
“Remember when the red X went viral on Twitter [in 2018]? Everyone was saying, ‘put a red X next to your screen name if you have been shadow banned and censored to show everyone we are united against this.’ I saw thousands of people quickly add a red X next to their name, and I warned that it was a ploy.
At the time I wasn’t sure what it was all about, as it could have been an attempt to build a list of people against the narrative, and it likely had a multifaceted approach.
I just knew that following along would not be wise. I now believe that one of the goals was to get everyone to place the X for purposes of conditioning their minds to believe ‘X’ is a good, powerful, united symbol. Five years later, Twitter became X.
This may seem silly and insignificant, but when multiple campaigns are running simultaneously to program individuals, every little seed planted adds branches in the brain and forms beliefs. Then, when evidence is brought forth showing the trap, the brain refuses to accept it, and instead is stuck in the ‘united’ belief system, and hero worship ensues.”
Lynn suggests the repeated use of the letter X in different contexts is a form of mind conditioning. By associating the X with concepts of unity, power and future change, the public may be subtly programmed to align their beliefs and behaviors with these symbols without critically evaluating the implications.
Becoming Consumed With Identity Is a Method of Distraction
By participating in these campaigns, you spread the desired narrative or belief system that’s laid out by those orchestrating the campaigns, contributing to a larger agenda. It also keeps your attention focused on the high-profile campaign instead of its underlying manipulative tactics. Ultimately, it’s a method of distraction, keeping your mind occupied with superficial or misleading activities instead of nurturing your own critical thinking and spiritual growth.
One example Lynn gives is becoming consumed with various aspects of identity — such as sexual preference, appearance and personality types. This can lead to divisions and distractions that prevent you from engaging more deeply with your inner self. A focus on identity is an external one, in which you become preoccupied with defining yourself and others based on surface-level characteristics and labels.
This external focus diverts attention from more introspective, spiritual pursuits that could foster genuine self-understanding and connection to a higher purpose or spiritual entity. By pushing identity to the forefront, the enemy may be intentionally creating situations that lead to discord and prevent people from instead uniting or focusing on common goals. Lynn explains:4
“I once believed that the corrupt want to obliterate everyone’s identity, make everyone genderless and force them to use digital IDs, but I’m beginning to realize that ‘identity’ is exactly what they want everyone focused on.
When you get people hyper focused on their own identity and the identity of others, be it sexual preference, appearance, fashion style, personality types, and all of the other fun labels that go with it, people are ultimately trying to define themselves by external nonsense that gives them an ‘identity,’ rather than focusing on their inner spirit, their soul, and direct line to God. It’s one of the biggest and longest standing distractions.”
Living in Fear Creates Confusion and Paranoia
Fear further feeds the enemy by destabilizing individuals and creating a population that’s easier to manage and less likely to resist manipulation or challenge the status quo. “Bad actors have been stoking fear and paranoia for eons because it serves their agendas well. When you keep people in a constant high beta state it creates incoherence and confusion. Eventually, this builds into paranoia,” according to Lynn.5
When people suspect that threats are everywhere, they can become isolated and less willing to connect with others, weakening social bonds and leaving you more vulnerable to manipulation. Fear also disrupts your own intuition, which is a powerful tool for understanding and decision-making.
When intuition is sidelined, you may bypass thoughtful analysis for quick, fear-based reactions. This can lead to poor decisions and outcomes. “They want everyone in a constant state of survival so they become paralyzed,” Lynn says, continuing:6
“The saying ‘trust no one and question everything’ has become the foundation for cognitive dissonance. Trusting no one creates isolation, while questioning everything keeps one in a constant state of analysis as opposed to trusting in their own intuition. Intuition is the most powerful tool for humans, yet people are finding it difficult to even trust in themselves.
Soon, this paranoia emerges into a single belief that everyone is bad and no one is to be trusted. Everything seems plausible and grasping at every bit of information that comes out is quickly twisted to fit this belief. Intuition goes out the window, research is skipped over, and analysis comes from a place of paranoia and confusion.
… This is why expanding one’s intuition is so vital during these times. The mind can only process so much and clues are often hidden, but intuition can quite literally save one’s life. Faith, prayer, and knowing go hand-in-hand with intuition. Fear and ego cloud discernment.”
Sowing Division Gives the Enemy More Power
Once the stage has been set for programming, distractions and fear, it becomes easy to plant the seeds of division. Influencers, often without realizing it, play a significant role in spreading these divisive narratives.
Because influencers have large followings, their endorsement or mere discussion of a divisive topic can lend it credibility and increase its spread. Lynn suggests that these individuals may inadvertently become tools in the hands of those intent on sowing division.
Meanwhile, as you focus on who is right or wrong, who is an ally or an enemy, attention is diverted from more productive pursuits. Instead of using your resources and abilities to effect positive change or enhance your community, you may waste energy by getting caught up in the drama and conflict. This further distracts you from personal growth and community involvement. Lynn adds:7
“The corrupt players sit back and relish in the chaos, division, and confusion all being created among individuals and influencers pointing fingers at one another, while achieving their end goal. The reality is, the majority of influencers and individuals on social media are not part of a psyop (not including bots of course), but rather have differing opinions, lack of knowledge, were misguided, or simply didn’t have all of the information.
… Suddenly, everyone is sketchy, everyone is involved in an ‘operation,’ and accusations are flying. People become consumed with ‘who’s who’ rather than ‘who am I.’
For over eight years I have observed this targeted energy suck, and it has gotten us no closer to combatting agendas against humanity, it has only served as entertainment for those who prefer to get caught up in drama and let their anger out on social media because they haven’t found a more constructive outlet.
… Everyone feeds into this drama and it stokes more division, but more importantly — it causes everyone to focus on external distractions rather than internal momentum and using their gifts and skills to actually make an impact for themselves, their families and their communities. And THAT is the prime goal of the corrupt.”
The Choice to Feed Your Soul — Not the Enemy — Is Yours
It’s possible to break free from the mind control and corruption by making small, purposeful changes. In the video at the top of this article, BBC journalist Melissa Hogenboom explains how six weeks of meditation led to changes in her brain, as evidenced by a brain scan.8
By calming your mind and focusing your attention, meditation reduces the "noise" of incessant thoughts. This quieter mental state can make it easier to hear and trust your intuitive feelings, which are often subtle and may be easily overshadowed by “louder” thoughts.
Meditation also nurtures your mind’s intrinsic capabilities, making it more receptive and tuned to intuitive processes. It provides a supportive environment for intuition to flourish by fostering a calm, clear and connected state of being, while helping to focus your mind on more productive pursuits.
“I hope people are beginning to realize,” Lynn says, “if it’s out of your control, it is a distraction and a time and energy suck. If it’s within your control — how can you exert your time and energy unless you yourself are in a balanced state without reacting emotionally? That is the state where creation takes hold and it projects a powerful force that inspires and motivates.”9
My upcoming book, “The Power of Choice,” further explores the interconnectedness between health and spirituality. Many express a desire to improve their health and well-being but struggle to take action even when presented with clear strategies. What typically impedes their progress is a disconnection from Spirit, their authentic Self, which is where true Joy resides.
To learn how to support your own connection to your consciousness, including methods for cultivating self-trust, keep an eye out for “The Power of Choice.” I’ll be publishing summaries of the first 10 chapters soon. At the end of each chapter, I provide exercises to facilitate connecting with your internal guidance system. As Lynn notes, the choice of whether to feed the enemy or feed your soul is yours alone:10
“The constant churning of events and campaigns to distract and divide will continue to amp up. The wild thing is, it’s much like a swimming pool.
You can choose to jump in the deep end and tread water all day long utilizing every last ounce of energy, only to drown in despair. Or you can choose to step into the shallow end, maintain solid footing, and conserve your energy for areas in life where you can take action while living your life without fear and constant stress.
You can take a family adventure into the wild and camp for a week as the world around you continues to move as it may. You can choose to find joy in all the little things, focus on family and community, and live in a state of faith. You can choose to plant a garden, run for local office, or learn a new skill.
You can choose to spend your time building your intuition, going within, bringing yourself a sense of peace and stability while opening the doors for opportunity. You can choose to create and manifest the reality you want. You can choose love and watch the ripple effect take hold across the universe.”
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The Health Benefits of Getting Dirty
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One key to a healthy immune system, a lower rate of allergies and a better mood might be getting dirty. But not just any dirt. This isn’t the dust in your house or grease from the garage. The dirt I’m talking about is in the garden, or your pots if you live in an apartment.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America,1 roughly 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 4 children in the U.S. have seasonal allergies, eczema or a food allergy. In 2021, 81 million people were diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis, which was 26% of adults and 19% of children. Seasonal allergies cause 3.1 million missed workdays and cost $8 billion annually.2 In other words, it’s nothing to sneeze at.
Your gut microbiome, which is affected by your exposure to dirt, also influences your mood, including depression and anxiety. There is a crucial relationship between anxiety and depression.3 In 2020 and 2021, researchers estimated the prevalence of anxiety from 26.9% to 31.9% and the prevalence of depression from 28% to 33.7%.4 Those percentages represent a large part of the U.S. population.
The first line of treatments for seasonal allergies, anxiety and depression are medications, many of which come with a long line of side effects. The good news? There is strong data to suggest that by carefully cultivating your gut microbiome you may influence your risk and severity of allergies and mood disorders.
Why a Little Bit of Dirt May Be Healthy for You
It’s called the Farm Effect or the Hygiene Hypothesis. The basic idea is that the more you're exposed to soil and dirt, the more diverse your gut microbiome and the stronger your immune system, which affects many physiological processes.
In 1989, David Strachan a professor of epidemiology at the University of London/St George's Hospital5 published a paper6 proposing that children who were exposed to more germs were less susceptible to developing disease and illness as they grow. He found differences between children who had more and fewer siblings. This was dubbed the "Hygiene Hypothesis," which was then framed as "the Old Friends" or "microbiota hypothesis."7
A 2012 paper8 found that microbial diversity plays a central role in protective effects against asthma and allergies. The researchers found individuals exposed to cows, straw and drinking unprocessed, raw milk just three times experienced protective effects from asthma but not atopy (eczema and allergic rhinitis).
This was dubbed the "Farm Effect," "one of the most compelling observations to arise from investigations of the microbiome in asthma development, and it is one of the key phenomena that has maintained the relevance of the hygiene hypothesis."9
Exposure to microbes when you're young can lead to a much lower risk of asthma and allergic inflammation when you're older. Researchers have proposed exposure to animal-associated microbes is key, yet analysis of the published data finds potential gaps and questions the specific exposures that offer the best protective effect.
A 2016 study10 in The New England Journal of Medicine identified some significant differences. The researchers analyzed the rates of asthma and allergies among Amish communities,11 including the Hutterites, who are a group living largely in Canada and the northwest U.S. While both communities make their livelihood from farming, Amish families use traditional methods, including livestock power tools while Hutterites use modern farm machinery.
The researchers found that only 10% of Amish school children were diagnosed with asthma and allergies while up to 30% of Hutterite children experienced those conditions. The researchers concluded that the dust from the farm fields might protect the Amish children while being sheltered from the exposure might increase the vulnerability of Hutterite children.
Proper Hygiene Has Its Place
Regular hand washing became a strong focus of public health agencies during and after 2020 to remove germs, avoid illness and prevent the spread of germs to others.12 The importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of infection became a worldwide focus in 2008 during the first Global Hand Washing Day.13
Many parents spend a good deal of time teaching young children the importance of taking baths, washing their hands before meals or staying as clean and germ-free as possible. Is this counterintuitive to the Farm Effect, Hygiene Hypothesis and multiple studies demonstrating that many of our kids may have become too clean for their own good?
No, it isn’t. Exposure to common viruses is not what seeds your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria. Hand washing to reduce the spread of viral infections is necessary, but digging into a handful of soil or hiking through the woods offers exposure to different live cultures.
Being Out in Nature Helps Seed Your Microbiome
Someday, today's population might be known as the indoor generation. A report on a survey from window manufacturing company VELUX found nearly 1 in 4 Americans spend their entire day indoors without ever going outside.14
On average, the 16,000 people from 14 countries who were surveyed believed they spent 18% of their day inside, but the actual amount was 90%. Peter Foldbjerg, head of daylight energy and indoor climate at VELUX, said in a press release:
"With the pressures of modern life, we are all now firmly a part of the Indoor Generation and we need to understand the implications on our health and wellbeing of life indoors, as well as outdoors, when it comes to polluted air.
We are a 24/7 society and this has disconnected us from the natural rhythms of nature — our circadian rhythm, a neurophysiological term for the 24-hour body clock that anticipates and adapts our physiology to the different phases of the day, sleep and wake cycle. All of this impacts our sleep quality and general health."
So, while the first step is to step outside, the second step might be to get your hands in the dirt. Scientists have discovered the broad range of benefits that microbes play on mental and physical health. Christopher Lowry, professor of integrative physiology at the University of Boulder Colorado told The New York Times that when we are outside, "we’re breathing in a tremendous amount of microbial diversity."15
A study from Finland revealed that children who went to nature-oriented daycare centers experienced greater biodiversity in their skin microbiome and gut bacterial community. The researchers found correlations between the gut microbiota and their immunological systems concluding that the results:16
"… support the biodiversity hypothesis and the concept that low biodiversity in the modern living environment may lead to an uneducated immune system and consequently increase the prevalence of immune-mediated diseases."
Anti-inflammatory Fat in Soil-Dwelling Bacterium May Affect Mood
Soil exposure may not only help allergies and asthma, but it could affect your mood. In a 2004 paper17 published in the Annals of Oncology, physicians reported the effect of injecting SRL172, (killed Mycobacterium vaccae) alongside chemotherapy to treat non-small cell lung cancer.
The researchers had hypothesized this may help the body fight cancer based on previous studies where the suspension was used in individuals with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis18 and to boost immune system response.19
However, the data showed there was no difference between the control group who did not receive SRL172 and the intervention group in overall survival, which was the primary endpoint of the study.
The researchers found that patients who received SRL172 experienced improved quality of life in the time they had left. This was a unique demonstration of the influence the bacterium had over mood in a group of individuals who were facing a challenging health condition.
In 2007,20 Lowry injected heat-killed or M. vaccae into mice and exposed them to stress tests. The animals that received the bacteria demonstrated less stress during the tests. A later research group21 fed mice the bacterium and found they ran mazes twice as fast and enjoyed doing it. The researchers theorized it had something to do with the effect on the immune system.
In 2010, Dorothy Matthews of the Sage Colleges, presented her results at the annual American Society for Microbiology meeting. They found the bacteria appeared to stimulate the hippocampus, which is responsible for spatial memory and changed the mice's mood as they demonstrated less anxiety-related behavior.
"It just shows that we evolved with dirt as hunter-gatherers," she said. "So, turn off your TV and go work in your garden, or walk in the woods."22
Lowry continued studying Mycobacterium vaccae and in 2019 he published information on anti-inflammatory fat found in the bacterium that might explain the effect it has on mood and stress.23 The anti-inflammatory fat — 10(Z)-hexadecenoic acid — appear to inhibit inflammation in immune cells. The research supports the Farm Effect and brings researchers closer identifying how it could help reduce stress and anxiety for those in high-stress jobs.
Embracing the Outdoors May Reduce Your Seasonal Allergy Reactions
Thankfully, you don’t have to live on a farm to experience the Farm Effect. While taking probiotics and prebiotics can help reseed your gut microbiome and affect your overall health, several more steps can prevent damage and help improve your microbiome diversity.
Stop using antibacterial soap and detergents — Regular soap and water can clean your hands, and there is no evidence that antibacterial soap offers more benefits.24 |
Clean up your diet — Choose organically grown foods and eliminate products grown with genetically modified seeds or sprayed with pesticides and insecticides as these destroy your gut bacteria. |
Eat fermented foods — Fermented vegetables are inexpensive and easy to make at home and provide a host of health benefits, including seeding your gut microbiome. |
Go gardening — No matter where you live you can garden. Even in an apartment, you can grow plants in pots and get your hands dirty. Just remember to leave the gardening gloves for when you’re pruning plants with thorns and use your bare hands for planting. |
Get dirty — Children love getting dirty, and adults may want to take a page from their playbook. Think about playing in the dirt or mud, making mud pies, bug hotels, fairy gardens or even mud art. Take up a mud sport like mud runs, mountain biking or hiking. The idea is to just get dirty. "I think we underestimate how much exposure we get from simply being outside," Lowry said.25 |
Not all dirt is good dirt — Steer clear of dirt in polluted areas that contain harmful contaminants and can be unhealthy for children and adults. Don’t use chemical weed killer or glyphosate and choose the best soil possible for your pots and raised gardens so you enjoy the same benefits as your plants. |
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Do You Have Hypnic Jerks?
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Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published December 21, 2017.
Have you ever drifted off to sleep only to be jolted awake a short time later by a strong jerking sensation? If so, you're not alone. Up to 70% of people experience this involuntary movement, known as a hypnic jerk, hypnagogic jerk, myoclonic or myoclonus jerk or sleep start, at some point or another.1 For some, the sensation is accompanied by a dream or feeling of falling, and your brain may even have you imagining that you're stepping off a cliff or sidewalk.
Most often, hypnic jerks occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep, particularly at the moment your body is drifting off to sleep. It's been suggested that the movement may be the result of your brain misfiring or failing to settle down properly, causing the disruption when you're in the lightest stage of sleep.2
For many people, hypnic jerks occur only sporadically and go mostly unnoticed. You may even fall right back to sleep following one without any memory of it in the morning.
In some cases, however, hypnic jerks can occur nightly, jarring people out of a peaceful sleep. The shocking sensation, in turn, can cause feelings of anxiety or fear before falling asleep, contributing to sleeping problems. Worrying about hypnic jerks before falling asleep may even increase the likelihood that you'll experience one that night.3
Sleep Deprivation, Caffeine and Other Triggers for Hypnic Jerks
Sometimes hypnic jerks occur randomly, but there are some factors that seem to make them more likely. Sleep deprivation is among them. Sleep behavior expert James Wilson explained to Time:
"The complexity of going to sleep and waking up is incredible, and sometimes — particularly when we are sleep deprived — our brain doesn't shut down normally, which means we get this sort of jerking movement when we're in a light sleep …
Normally when we go to sleep, about half an hour later we go into a deep stage of sleep during which we wouldn't get these hypnic jerks … If someone is sleep deprived, as they go through the process of falling asleep, the brain will get stuck at the same point in time."4
Further, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "some forms appear to be stimulus-sensitive,"5 meaning that what you do before bed could act as a trigger. Consuming too much caffeine or engaging in vigorous physical activity in the evening may contribute to hypnic jerks, as can emotional stress. Another theory posits that hypnic jerks may be designed to protect you.
When you nod off to sleep, your muscles relax, which your brain may interpret as your body falling. In order to stop you from falling, your muscles suddenly contract in a hypnic jerk.6 Writing in the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, researchers explained:
"One … [hypothesis states] that these jerks are a natural step in the transition from alertness to sleep made via the reticular activating system, where some of the nerves of the hands and legs misfire. Yet another theory states that it is a basic protective reflex. Complete relaxation of the muscles is interpreted by the brain as falling and in order to prevent this the brain orders the muscle to twitch."7
Hypnic jerks have also been associated with medical conditions like parkinsonism8 and the use of antidepressants. In one case study, a 45-year-old woman began suffering from hypnic jerks after taking the antidepressant drug Escitalopram.9 The episodes resolved when she stopped taking the medication and researchers noted "this is a rare, but unique side effect that clinical psychiatrists need to be cognizant of."
Are Hypnic Jerks Dangerous?
Most hypnic jerks involve a brief but strong contraction of the body, which may cause you to suddenly wake up, but is not dangerous. In some cases, you may not wake up at all. Hypnic jerks may also occur along with a "visual sleep start," such as the sensation of bright light, or an "auditory sleep start," including a loud snapping noise inside your head.
Hallucination or vivid dreaming may also occur at the same time, and sometimes people cry out in their sleep at the same time the hypnic jerk occurs.
In most cases, it's nothing to worry about, but if they occur frequently or are severe, they may interfere with your sleep. Experiencing frequent hypnic jerks can also lead to anxiety about them occurring, which can also interfere with sleep. Michelle Drerup, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center in Ohio, told Live Science:
"More often than not, hypnic jerks are completely normal and nothing to be concerned about. However, if the jerks themselves, or the anxiety you experience about having them, are significantly disrupting your sleep, you should talk to a sleep specialist about your concerns."10
Is Sleep Deprivation Causing Your Hypnic Jerks?
Sleep deprivation is a leading contributor to hypnic jerks. "Usually if we can help people address their sleep deprivation, the instances decrease or disappear altogether," Wilson said.11 Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests 35% of U.S. adults are not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep each night.12
When you consider that some people probably need closer to eight hours to be optimally healthy, that percentage jumps even higher. If you're tired during the day, there's a good chance you fall into the "sleep deprived" category — but it isn't always this obvious. The late Nathaniel Kleitman, Ph.D., professor emeritus in physiology at the University of Chicago, came up with one of the simplest tests to determine if you're sleep deprived.
Here's how it works — In the early afternoon, grab a spoon and head off to your darkened bedroom to take a nap. Place a metal tray on the floor beside your bed, and hold the spoon over the tray as you attempt to fall asleep. Be sure to check the time as well. Next, when you inevitably fall asleep and the spoon crashes down onto the tray, waking you up, immediately check the time again and note how much time has passed.
If you fell asleep within five minutes, it means you're severely sleep deprived, according to Kleitman. If it took you 10 minutes to fall asleep, this is still a sign that you could use more sleep. If, however, you managed to stay awake for 15 minutes or more before falling asleep, you're probably well rested.13 If you don't happen to have a spoon and metal tray handy, you can still take this test by setting an alarm for 15 minutes to see if you fall asleep before it goes off.
Remedying Sleep Deprivation May Lessen Hypnic Jerks
Proper sleep hygiene is one of the best remedies for sleep deprivation. This includes going to sleep and waking at roughly the same time each day while also cutting back on excess caffeine or alcohol in the afternoon and evening.
Perhaps the most important natural "trick" of all for improving your sleep is to make sure you're getting proper exposure to bright light during the day and no exposure to blue light at night. In the morning, bright, blue-light-rich sunlight signals to your body that it's time to wake up. At night, as the sun sets, darkness should signal to your body that it's time to sleep.
To help your circadian system reset itself, get at least 10 to 15 minutes of natural light first thing in the morning. This will send a strong message to your internal clock that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals later on. Then, around solar noon, get another "dose" of at least 30 minutes' worth of sunlight.
A full hour or more would be even better. If your schedule is such that you have to get up and arrive at work before sunrise, aim to get at least that half-hour of bright sunlight sometime during the day.
In the evening when the sun begins to set, put on amber-colored glasses that block blue light. You can also dim your lights and turn off electronic devices to reduce your exposure to light that may stifle your melatonin production. Better still, swap out LEDs for incandescent or low-voltage incandescent halogen lights. After sundown, you can also shift to a low-wattage bulb with yellow, orange or red light if you need illumination.
A salt lamp illuminated by a 5-watt bulb is an ideal solution that will not interfere with your melatonin production. Candle light also works well. If you've already optimized your light exposure and are still struggling with sleep deprivation, see my 33 healthy sleep secrets for a more comprehensive list of strategies for a better night's rest.
Try Relaxation Techniques Before Bed
If you're not sleep deprived but are still being frequently woken by, or are anxious over, hypnic jerks, trying various relaxation tools before bed may help. Among them:
Breathing exercises |
Guided imagery |
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Progressive muscle relaxation |
Self-hypnosis |
Rhythmic movement |
Meditation |
Tai chi |
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Massage therapy |
Biofeedback-assistance relaxation |
Autogenic training, in which you focus on physical sensations in your body |
Listening to calming music, taking a warm bath before bed or using essential oils, such as lavender, can also calm your body and mind when it's time to fall asleep. By tending to your sleep hygiene and state of relaxation before bed, you can improve your sleep quality and overall health while also lowering the likelihood of hypnic jerks.
If they persist, and tend to occur at the same time each night, try asking your partner to give you a nudge a few minutes before the jerk typically occurs. Slight changes, like altering your sleeping position, may be enough to stop the hypnic jerk from occurring14 — for that night anyway.
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