Common Chemicals Cause High Blood Pressure?

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted August 12, 2022

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

When I told my wife about a recent study I was reading, her response was, “A girl just can catch a break!”

And she’s right.

Women seem particularly vulnerable to the chemicals in our environment.

We see this with chemicals that damage the thyroid (women are more susceptible), and we see it with breast cancer (many chemicals in our environment increase breast cancer risk).

As if those aren’t bad enough, the new study found that certain chemicals could increase high blood pressure too.

The study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that middle-aged women with higher blood concentrations of common chemicals were at greater risk of developing high blood pressure than women with low amounts.

The chemicals in question are called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

You might have seen these described as “forever chemicals” because once they’re made, they stay in our environment for a long (LONG) time.

PFAS are found in water, soil, food, and air… basically everywhere.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), thousands of different kinds of PFAS are used in everyday household items, such as shampoos, dental floss, cosmetics, non-stick cookware, food packaging, and stain-resistant coatings for carpeting, upholstery, and clothing.

Unfortunately, these forever chemicals also find their way into us.

They slip inside when we eat certain foods, such as fish caught in contaminated water or dairy products from cows exposed to farm fertilizers. They hitch a ride inside on foods stored in certain kinds of PFAS-coated packaging. Or we can simply breathe them in.

The study followed more than 1,000 women (45-56 years old) who had normal blood pressure when they enrolled.

The researchers measured their blood concentrations of PFAS at the start of the study. All participants were followed from 1999 to 2017.

Women with higher concentrations of specific PFAS were more likely to develop high blood pressure. In fact, ladies with the highest overall PFAS levels had a 42 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure than women with the lowest concentrations of these dangerous chemicals.

But it gets worse. Women in the group with the highest one-third concentrations of ALL SEVEN PFAS had a 71 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure.

So, how do you protect yourself?

Clearly, you want to stay away from these chemicals. That’s why your first action step is to reduce the number of chemicals in your home. There are good natural alternatives to almost every household cleaner and body care product you can buy.

If you need some help picking out safer products, I suggest you check out the Environmental Working Group’s consumer guides.

Avoid foods packaged in plastics.

Finally, provide your liver with the raw materials it needs to detox the chemicals you run into. That means ensuring you have enough B vitamins, glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, and Coenzyme Q10.

PS: Ladies, your makeup could be making you sick. In fact, over half of certain personal care products contain the toxic forever chemical fluorine. Find out the number one makeup product you should avoid like the plague, RIGHT HERE.

Source:

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Incident Hypertension in Multi-Racial/Ethnic Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. Hypertension, 2022 DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.18809

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

View More By Dr. Scott Olson, ND