Mailbag! The Surprising POISON in Your Home
By
Natalie Moore
Posted July 27, 2017
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
You’ve got questions…
We’ve got answers!
Dangerous chemicals are a fact of life these days.
It seems like you can’t look at a food label or household product without seeing a list of nasty substances you can’t even pronounce.
But trying to avoid these chemicals is a lot harder than you may think…
Scientists have just found that toxic, health-wrecking chemicals are literally all over your home and even in the air you breathe.
And you’ll never believe how you’re being exposed to them.
Let’s dive in…
Hey Natalie,
Indoor dust always sets off my allergies. But I heard recently it can hurt your heart, too. Is that really true, and is there anything you can do about it?
Thanks,
Sylvia G.
Thanks for such an important question, Sylvia.
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Indoor dust can contain many pollutants, including chemicals that can cause heart problems and lots of other diseases.
Let me explain…
As you may already know, household dust contains a variety of things like pet dander, skin and hair cells, soil, mold, fungal spores, fabric fibers and just about anything you can think of.
But this isn’t the worst of it.
A brand new study has found that indoor dust can also contain toxic levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals (or EDCs) that mess with your body’s hormones.
EDCs are used in the manufacturing of many textiles, carpets, pesticides and plastics. Previous studies have linked them to brain and reproductive problems.
But it wasn’t until this latest study by Duke University that researchers knew the full danger of these nasty chemicals.
For the study, scientists took samples from 11 North Carolina homes and lab tested them on mouse cells.
The dust from 7 of the homes contained enough EDCs to trigger the cells to develop mature fat cells and accumulate triglycerides, a type of fat linked to heart attack and stroke.
Even worse, nine of the samples had an EDC content high enough to spur cell division, thus creating a larger amount of certain fat cells.
Given that the average household contains thousands of products that contain EDCs, you’re talking about fairly serious risk here.
Especially when you consider that even miniscule amounts can have measurable effects.
Your best shot at avoiding exposure to EDCs in your home is through regular dusting, buying an indoor air filter, and removing or cutting down on the amount of plastics, flame-resistant fabrics and foods treated with pesticides.
Do you have health questions you want answered? Drop me a line: feedback@livingwelldaily.com
Live well,
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Sources
[1] House dust spurs growth of fat cells in lab tests
[2] Household dust makes people fat, groundbreaking research indicates
Written By Natalie Moore
Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.
View More Free Articles
Ease Anxiety with THIS Belly Hack
I’m always encouraging patients to focus on their gastrointestinal health. It’s often overlooked—and well-balanced belly bugs are vital for overall good health. So I’m not surprised that I’ve seen a lot of folks lately who have told me that working on their gut balance has been absolutely LIFE-CHANGING. But it’s NOT in the way you’re...
Is Fish Oil Enough? (What You Might be Missing Out On)
I love talking about the active elements in foods because it highlights the powerful health benefits of those individual ingredients. Take fish oil, for instance. If you search the Living Well Daily archives, you’d likely find THOUSANDS of references to this golden fish extract. Fish oil contains the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and...
The STUNNING Truth About Back Pain
“I feel like I can barely do anything anymore because of my back pain. I’m always taking pain meds. What else can help?” – Ed, Huntsville, AL Hi Ed, Brace yourself. What I’m about to tell you about back pain will no doubt come as a surprise. It might even seem downright unbelievable at first....
FILTHY FACTS About Your Cell Phone
Taking a trip to the bathroom used to be a break from the chaos of daily life. It’s likely at least partially responsible for the nickname restroom. After all, there wasn’t much to do in that room unless you had a magazine to read. But nowadays, for many of us, the restroom is anything BUT...
EAR Test Protects Your BRAIN?
Hearing loss has a habit of sneaking up on folks. Typically, it happens so slowly that you don’t notice it until you’ve lost a SIGNIFICANT amount of hearing. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 8 percent of adults 55 to 64 have disabling hearing loss. That number jumps to 25 percent for people...
Missing "Lucky Penny" Mineral Harms Your Heart
Dear Living Well Daily Reader, Some nutrients get all the glory. There are the vitamin A-Listers like C, D, and E. And although minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium might be considered B-List stars, they ALSO get their fair share of attention. But one vital nutrient never gets to walk the red carpet. And that...
Risk of Stroke SURGES 50% Worldwide?!
It’s NOT good news. A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed that the chance of having a stroke has skyrocketed by a whopping 50 percent in the last twenty years. According to the WHO, that means your stroke risk is now about one in four. Next time you’re in a crowd, look...
Is Tofu GOOD for You? (The Truth REVEALED)
I often wonder why so many people are passionate about tofu. There’s something about it that triggers strong emotions. Some folks HATE it, while others LOVE it. But is it good for you? Well, it’s complicated. Tofu is a fermented soy product. It tastes bland alone. But it takes on the taste of whatever you...
Bizarre New Cell Phone Risk (Beware)
I sometimes joke with my (adult) kids. “Do you know,” I ask, “that the PHONE you carry around with you all the time can make phone calls?” They laugh and mumble, “Old,” under their breath. I swear the generations who grew up with a cell phone attached to their palm will do almost anything to...
MAILBAG: Crush COPD Symptoms NATURALLY
“Got any natural treatments for COPD?” – Mike, Ann Arbor, MI Dear Mike, Unfortunately, COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, is a common condition. In fact, it’s now the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD causes the airways to constrict, making breathing difficult or uncomfortable. Persistent coughing, excess mucus production, wheezing,...