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Chronic Stress Raises Your Risk of Several Types of Cardiovascular Disease
Stress has enormous implications for your health. From an evolutionary perspective, the stress response is a lifesaving biological function that enables you to instinctively square-off against an assailant, run away from a predator or take down a prey.
However, those of us living in the modern world are now activating this same biological reaction in response to activities and events that have no life-threatening implications whatsoever, from speaking in public to filling out tax forms to sitting in traffic jams.
The sheer number of stress-inducing situations facing us on a daily basis can actually make it difficult to turn the stress response off, and marinating in corrosive stress hormones around the clock can have very serious consequences for your health.
Stress Is 'Robustly Associated' With Cardiovascular Disease
Recent research1 again highlights the health risks of chronic stress, as data show people with stress related disorders are 29% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to a sibling without a stress disorder, and 37% more likely compared to the general population.
Cardiovascular diseases included ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, emboli/thrombosis, hypertensive disease, heart failure and arrhythmia/conduction disorder.
The study, published in the BMJ, compared health data on 136,637 Swedes diagnosed with a stress disorder — including acute stress reaction, post-traumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorder — with 171,314 siblings and 1.3 million people in the general population that did not have a stress-related disorder.
Interestingly, within the first year of a stress diagnosis, the risk for cardiovascular disease was even greater — 64% greater than that of a sibling and 71% greater than the general population. The link was also particularly strong for those under the age of 50. According to the authors:2
"Most people are, at some point during their life, exposed to psychological trauma or stressful life events such as the death of a loved one, a diagnosis of life threatening illness, natural disasters, or violence.
Accumulating evidence suggests that such adversities might lead to an increased risk of several major diseases (including cardiovascular morbidity, injury, infection, and certain autoimmune diseases but not cancer) and mortality, with the largest risk elevations usually noted among people who develop psychiatric disorders as a result of their trauma …
Stress related disorders are robustly associated with multiple types of cardiovascular disease, independently of familial background, history of somatic/psychiatric diseases, and psychiatric comorbidity …
In addition, patients with stress related disorders tended to have a higher burden of somatic diseases at the index date and a lower family income level, and to be more likely to be divorced or widowed, compared with their unaffected siblings or matched unexposed people …
These findings call for enhanced clinical awareness and, if verified, monitoring or early intervention among patients with recently diagnosed stress related disorders."
How Stress Affects Your Cardiovascular Health
As noted in the featured study3 and elsewhere,4 while there are still unanswered questions, a number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the link between stress and cardiovascular disease. Among them:
• Increased blood pressure caused by acute stress can set the stage for acute cardiovascular events; long term, elevated blood pressure can lead to endothelial dysfunction and arteriosclerosis
• Chronically elevated cortisol, released in response to stress, can also raise triglycerides and blood sugar, which like high blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease
• Biological stress reactions can also over time trigger other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as:
◦ Chronic inflammation
◦ Autonomic dysfunction
◦ Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation
◦ Altered neurochemistry that contributes to negative behavior such as smoking and poor sleep habits
◦ Plaque buildup in your arteries
High-Stress Lifestyle Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
There's no shortage of evidence showing that stress impacts your heart health. Previous research5 has demonstrated that stress increases your risk of heart attack and stroke by causing overactivity in your amygdala.
Known as your brain's fear center, this brain region, located in your temporal lobe, is activated in response to both real and perceived threats. It's also involved in the processing of other emotions, including positive ones, as well as emotional memories of all kinds. One of its most basic jobs, though, is to keep you safe by biochemically preparing you to fight or flee as needed.
In this particular study, inflammation levels and brain and bone marrow activity of 293 participants were measured. All were over the age of 30, and none had a diagnosed heart problem. By the end of the observation period, which lasted between two and five years, 22 participants had experienced a serious cardiac event such as heart attack, stroke or angina (chest pain).
Based on brain scans, the researchers were able to conclude that those with higher activity in the amygdala were at an elevated risk of a cardiac event. As it turns out, there appears to be a significant correlation between amygdala activity and arterial inflammation — triggered by immune cell production in your bone marrow — which is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
This was confirmed in a sub-study involving 13 patients with a history of PTSD.6 Here, levels of C-reactive protein were also measured, showing those with the highest stress levels also had the highest amygdala activity and higher levels of inflammatory markers. Lead author Dr. Ahmed Tawakol from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told Science Daily:7
"Our results provide a unique insight into how stress may lead to cardiovascular disease. This raises the possibility that reducing stress could produce benefits that extend beyond an improved sense of psychological wellbeing. Eventually, chronic stress could be treated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is routinely screened for and effectively managed like other major cardiovascular disease risk factors."
Ilze Bot, Ph.D., a Dutch biopharmaceutical researcher who wrote an accompanying commentary to the study, added:8
"In the past decade, more and more individuals experience psychosocial stress on a daily basis. Heavy workloads, job insecurity, or living in poverty are circumstances that can result in chronically increased stress
These clinical data establish a connection between stress and cardiovascular disease, thus identifying chronic stress as a true risk factor for acute cardiovascular syndromes, which could, given the increasing number of individuals with chronic stress, be included in risk assessments of cardiovascular disease in daily clinical practice."
Other Ways Stress Can Trigger a Heart Attack
Stress can also promote or trigger a heart attack in other ways. For example, studies9 have shown that as your stress level rises, so does your level of disease-promoting white blood cells, and this is yet another way by which stress can lead to atherosclerosis, plaque rupture and myocardial infarction.
During moments of high stress your body also releases norepinephrine, which researchers claim10 can cause the dispersal of bacterial biofilms from the walls of your arteries. This dispersal can allow plaque deposits to suddenly break loose, thereby triggering a heart attack.
A sudden release of large amounts of stress hormones and rapid elevations in blood pressure may even trigger a heart attack or stroke even if you don't have an underlying heart problem. In the case of broken heart syndrome, the symptoms of a heart attack occur even though there's no actual damage to the heart at all.
According to the British Heart Foundation,11 broken heart syndrome — clinically known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy — is a "temporary condition where your heart muscle becomes suddenly weakened or stunned." The left ventricle (your heart's largest chamber) also changes shape, which adds to the temporary dysfunction.
This sudden weakness of the heart is thought to be due to the sudden release of large quantities of adrenaline and other stress hormones. Adrenaline increases your blood pressure and heart rate, and it's been suggested it may lead to narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to your heart, or even bind directly to heart cells allowing large amounts of calcium to enter and render the cells temporarily unable to function properly.
While most will successfully recover, in some, the change of shape of the left ventricle can trigger a fatal heart attack. Having a history of neurological problems, such as seizure disorders and/or a history of mental health problems is thought to raise your risk.12 On the upside, while the condition can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention, it's usually a temporary condition that leaves no permanent damage.
Sports Fanatics Beware
Another paper13 looking at stress and sudden heart events noted the risk of heart attack and stroke was greater following emotionally intense sporting events, such as European soccer games. As noted by the authors:
"One of the first studies was from the Netherlands, in which mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke was found to be increased in men on the day of an important football match between the Netherlands and France in the 1996 European football championship tournament. There was no similar increase found in women, nor on any of the other days in which the Dutch played a football game in that tournament.
The increase occurred on the day the Dutch played their one game that ended in a penalty shoot-out, a do-or-die situation in which the winner of the game is determined in dramatic fashion. The study investigators proposed that the heightened intensity of the game and resultant outcome (the Dutch lost) may have been responsible for the 14 excess deaths caused by coronary heart disease and stroke in the Netherlands that day …
A subsequent study from England showed that admissions from acute MI were increased by 25% on the day of and two days after England lost to Argentina in the 1998 World Cup in yet another game that ended in a penalty shoot-out."
The researchers detail several potential mechanisms by which watching sporting events could contribute to cardiac events, including:
Sympathetic nervous system stimulation, which can increase coronary vascular tone, thereby reducing your relative oxygen supply. At the same time, your level of circulating catecholamines ("induced by the emotional involvement in the game") increases, which raises your need for oxygen by raising heart rate and blood pressure
Increased ventricular inotropy and changes in coronary tone may alter "the shear stress of blood against a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, contributing to plaque fracture"
Increased concentrations of catecholamines can also trigger arrhythmias and increase platelet aggregation — a part of the sequence of events that lead to the formation of a blood clot
High Resting Heart Rate Linked to Early Death
In related news, researchers also warn that having a high resting heart rate may affect your longevity. Middle-aged men with a resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute (bpm) were twice as likely to develop heart disease and die early than those with a resting heart rate around 55 bpm.14
They also found that those whose resting heart rate remained stable during the decade between their 50s and 60s had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those whose resting heart rate rose over time. As reported by Newsweek:15
"The researchers believe this could be because a high resting heart rate may put the heart under stress and increase oxygen consumption. It has also been linked to sympathetic overactivity where the nervous system works too hard, which is tied to conditions that affect the heart such as high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome."
Another study found that boosting your cardiorespiratory fitness may reduce your risk of heart attack, especially for women. According to lead author Rajesh Shigdel, the results suggest your cardiorespiratory fitness — which reflects the maximum amount of oxygen your body is able to use during exertion — could be used "as a risk calculator for first heart attacks."16
Women with the highest cardiorespiratory fitness levels were 25% less likely to have a heart attack than those with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Among men, high levels were slightly less effective for lowering their risk of heart attack at 10%. According to Shigdel, "People who want to increase cardiorespiratory fitness should strive to be physically active at least 150 minutes each week and minimize time spent being sedentary." 17
Recognizing Signs of Stress
Many have gotten so used to being wound up into a stress-knot, they don't even realize the position they're in. So, the first step is to recognize that you're stressed, and then take steps to address it. Common signs and symptoms of stress include:18
Sleeping poorly; trouble falling asleep; excessive tiredness
Binge drinking
Lack of appetite or overeating
Having a "short fuse" / being quick to anger or losing your temper
Feeling overwhelmed, sad or irritable; frequent crying or quick to tears
Headaches and/or general aches and pains
Lower Acute Stress With Proper Breathing
As mentioned earlier, stress is associated with an overactive amygdala, which when triggered by a real or perceived threat, causes oxygen to be shunted from your internal organs, including your brain, to your extremities. Essentially, your body is prepared for fighting — not thinking.
However, critical thinking is really what's required when facing a stressful situation in today's world. Fist-fighting is not the most appropriate solution when faced with traffic jams or interpersonal difficulties, for example, yet because of the stress response, your brain has been largely shut off.
Step 1, then, is to bring oxygen back to your brain, which you can do through some simple breathing exercises. You may want to experiment with a few different ones to see if one works better than another. Following are three variations that can do the trick. Breathing technique No. 1:
Simply breathe in to a count of four
Hold your breath for another count of four
Breathe out to the count of four
Hold again for a count of four
Another one I like is the 4-7-8 breathing exercise taught by Dr. Andrew Weil.
Sit up straight and place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process
Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four, hold your breath to the count of seven, and exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible "whoosh" sound. That completes one full breath
Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths. After the first month, you can work your way up to a total of eight breaths per session
A third method is the controlled breathing method taught by Patrick McKeown, one of the top teachers of the Buteyko Breathing Method. If you're experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, or if you feel stressed and your mind can't stop racing, try the following breathing sequence.
Its effectiveness stems from the fact that it helps retain and gently accumulate carbon dioxide. This not only helps calm your breathing but also reduces anxiety. In short, the urge to breathe will decline as you go into a more relaxed state:
Take a small breath into your nose, followed by a small breath out
Hold your nose for five seconds in order to hold your breath, and then release your nose to resume breathing
Breathe normally for 10 seconds
Repeat the sequence several more times
Counter Stress by Activating Your Body's Relaxation Response
Once you've addressed the oxygenation of your brain, next, engage in some sort of physical relaxation technique, as the stress response causes the muscles in your body to tighten. One simple one that can be done anywhere is to tighten the muscles in an area for a few seconds, and then release; moving from section to section. Start with your feet and legs, and move upward. This may even be done in concert with your breathing exercise of choice.
Visualization techniques such as those taught by Dr. Martin Rossman, author of "The Worry Solution," can also be helpful. Imagery is the natural language of your brain, which is in part why visualization and guided imagery exercises are so powerful for changing thoughts and behavior.
As noted by Rossman, the three keys to calmness are breathing, relaxation and visualization. Ideally, do all three. Here's Rossman's suggestion for pursuing calmness: Breathe and relax your body part by part, then imagine being in a beautiful, peaceful place where you feel safe. This could be either a real or imaginary place. Spend 10 or 20 minutes there, actively visualizing the serenity of your surroundings, to interrupt the stress response.
This will disengage your fight or flight response, allowing your physiology to return to equilibrium, or what is also termed "the relaxation response." This is a compensatory repair, renew and recharge state that brings you back to balance.
Mindfulness training — which focuses on being present in the moment — is another strategy that can be very helpful. In one study, people who participated in 10 sessions over the course of one month experienced "significantly decreased" stress, anxiety and depression.19 Mindfulness meditation is a more formal practice of mindfulness, in which you consciously zone in on, or focus your attention on, specific thoughts or sensations, then observe them in a nonjudgmental manner.
The Emotional Freedom Techniques for Stress Relief
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Last but not least, energy psychology techniques such as the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be very effective for reducing stress by helping you to actually reprogram your body's reactions to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life. This is important as, generally speaking, a stressor becomes a problem when:
Your response to it is negative
Your feelings and emotions are inappropriate for the circumstances
Your response lasts an excessively long time
You're feeling continuously overwhelmed, overpowered or overworked
EFT is not the same thing as mindfulness; it is entirely different and used for different purposes. I regard mindfulness and meditation as tools that are useful for your entire life, like exercise for your mind. Ideally, you should strive to be mindful and use meditation daily.
EFT is different in that it works best for targeted stress relief, such as recovering from an emotional trauma or overcoming an addiction. You might only need to use EFT a few times throughout your life, while mindfulness and meditation are life-long endeavors.
When you use EFT, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on your head and chest while you think about your specific problem and voice positive affirmations.
This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation works to clear the "short-circuit" — the emotional block — from your body's bioenergy system, thus restoring your mind and body's balance, which is essential for optimal health and the healing of chronic stress.
While the video above will easily teach you how to tap for stress, it is important to realize that self-treatment for more serious issues is not recommended. For serious or complex issues, seek out an experienced practitioner to guide you through the process.
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Vitamin B12 to Help Combat Mental Illness
Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is necessary for your body to make red blood cells as well as for proper nerve function and DNA synthesis. Without adequate levels, you'll experience a number of physical symptoms, ranging from numbness to fatigue, but your mental health can also suffer significantly.
In fact, vitamin B12 is increasingly being recognized as an important tool for combating mental illness — and deficiency, which is common as you age, could be setting you up for depression, dementia, cognitive decline and more.
Vitamin B12 May Help Treat Depression
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in neurological function, and deficiency leads to a number of related changes, including personality disturbances, irritability, depression, dementia and even psychosis. Further, it's been shown that people with depression and high B12 levels have better responses to treatment.1
In one study of nearly 200 depressed adults, those who received vitamin B12 supplementation along with antidepressants had significantly improved depressive symptoms.2
Specifically, at three months’ follow-up, 100% of those who received B12 had at least a 20% reduction in symptoms, compared to only 69% in the antidepressant-only group. Other studies have found similarly impressive results, including one that found patients treated with 0.4 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B12 a day had decreased depressive symptoms.3
It's also been observed that up to 30% of patients hospitalized for depression may be B12 deficient,4 while among the elderly with depressive disorders, those with B12 deficiency may be 70% more likely to experience depression. Those researchers went so far as to say that vitamin B12 may be causally related to depression.5
As for why vitamin B12 is so strongly linked to depression, Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute explained a couple of prominent theories:6
"The reasons for the relationship between vitamin B12 deficiency and depression are not clear but may involve a shortage in S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). SAM is a methyl group donor for numerous methylation reactions in the brain, including those involved in the metabolism of neurotransmitters whose deficiency has been related to depression.
Severe vitamin B12 deficiency in a mouse model showed dramatic alterations in the level of DNA methylation in the brain, which might lead to neurologic impairments. This hypothesis is supported by several studies that have shown supplementation with SAM improves depressive symptoms."
Vitamin B12 also helps regulate homocysteine levels, and increased homocysteine is linked to B12 deficiency as well as depression.7 Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body, which in large amounts can increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Vitamin B12 works by making sure the homocysteine in your blood is successfully expended by your body.8
B12 Is Protective Against Dementia and Cognitive Decline
B12's role in the suppression of homocysteine is also one reason why it's protective of your brain health, since homocysteine tends to be elevated when you have brain degeneration. Having a serum (blood) level of homocysteine greater than 14 micromoles per liter is associated with a doubled risk of Alzheimer's. As noted in a 2010 paper:9
"Deficiencies of the vitamins folate, B12 and B6 are associated with neurological and psychological dysfunction … In the elderly, cognitive impairment and incident dementia may be related to the high prevalence of inadequate B vitamin status and to elevations of plasma homocysteine.
Plausible mechanisms include homocysteine neurotoxicity, vasotoxicity and impaired S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation reactions vital to central nervous system function. In light of this, it is imperative to find safe ways of improving vitamin B status in the elderly …"
B12 is even linked to reduced brain shrinkage. A 2013 study showed that not only do B vitamins slow brain shrinkage, but they specifically slow shrinkage in brain regions known to be most severely impacted by Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, in those specific areas the shrinkage is decreased by as much as 700%.10
People with Alzheimer's disease are also more likely to have lower levels of vitamin B12 in the cerebrospinal fluid compared to those with other types of dementia, even when blood levels of B12 were similar.11 Writing in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry researchers further explained:12
"Clinical trials have indicated that Vitamin B12 delays the onset of signs of dementia (and blood abnormalities), if it is administered in a precise clinical timing window, before the onset of the first symptoms.
Supplementation with cobalamin enhances cerebral and cognitive functions in the elderly; it frequently promotes the functioning of factors related to the frontal lobe, in addition to the language function of people with cognitive disorders. Adolescents who have a borderline level of vitamin B12 deficiency develop signs of cognitive changes."
Neurological Problems Linked to B12 Deficiency in Vegetarians
Vegans or strict vegetarians who abstain from animal products and do not supplement their diet with vitamin B12 will often become deficient and may face increased risks of neuropsychiatric and neurological problems as a result.
When 100 vegetarians were compared to 100 omnivores, the vegetarians had significantly lower B12 levels as well as increased rates of depression, peripheral neuropathy, paresthesias (pins and needles sensation) and psychosis.13
Obsessive-compulsive disorder has also been linked to B12 deficiency (and elevated homocysteine).14 Neurological problems, in particular, are a possibility even at the "low normal" range at or just below 258 picomoles per liter (pmol/L). A level of 148 pmol/L or less is considered a deficiency state. As noted by the USDA:15
"Deficiency can cause a type of anemia marked by fewer but larger red blood cells. It can also cause walking and balance disturbances, a loss of vibration sensation, confusion and, in advanced cases, dementia. The body requires B12 to make the protective coating surrounding the nerves. So, inadequate B12 can expose nerves to damage."
Vitamins B6, B8 (inositol) and B12 in combination have also been found to be very effective for improving schizophrenic symptoms when taken in high doses — more so than standard drug treatments alone, possibly because schizophrenics tend to have abnormalities in their B12 and glutamate pathways.16,17
Why Vitamin B12 Deficiency Is Common
The only reliable and absorbable sources of vitamin B12 are animal products; however, even meat eaters can be deficient, for a number of reasons. It’s been suggested that nearly two-fifths of Americans may have lower than ideal B12 levels, with 9% deficient and 16% below 185 pmol/L, which is considered marginally deficient.18
"Many people may be deficient at this level," said Katherine Tucker, formerly with Tufts University in Boston, and who presently leads the Center for Population Health and Health Disparities at UMass Lowell. "There is a question as to what the clinical cutoff for deficiency should be … I think there is a lot of undetected vitamin B12 deficiency out there … It’s not because people aren’t eating enough meat … The vitamin isn’t getting absorbed."19
B12 is tightly bound to proteins and high acidity is required to break this bond. Some people may not have sufficient stomach acid to separate the B12 from the protein. Advancing age may also diminish your ability to absorb the vitamin from food and increase your risk of deficiency, as may any of the following scenarios:
Vegetarians and vegans are susceptible since B12 is derived from animal products.
People who regularly drink alcohol, as B12 is stored in your liver.
Anyone with an autoimmune disease like Crohn's or celiac, which may prevent your body from being able to absorb B12.
People who drink more than four cups of coffee daily are more prone to vitamin B deficiencies than non-coffee consumers.20
Those who've had gastric bypass surgery and therefore have altered digestive systems, as this may impair B12 absorption.
People exposed to nitrous oxide (laughing gas), which can wipe out whatever B12 reserves you may have in your body.
Adults over 50, because as you grow older, your ability to produce intrinsic factor decreases.
People with helicobacter pylori infection. Intrinsic factor is a protein made by stomach cells that's necessary for B12 absorption. H. pylori bacteria can destroy intrinsic factor, thereby preventing B12 absorption.
People who take antacids, which have a tendency to interfere with B12 absorption, especially over time.
Patients who take metformin for low blood sugar, as the drug interferes with B12 absorption, doubling your risk of deficiency.21
Anyone taking a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) like Prevacid or Nexium or H2 blocker such as Pepcid or Zantac. Research shows taking PPIs for more than two years increases your risk of B12 deficiency by 65%.22
Women taking birth control pills for an extended period of time, as the estrogen impairs absorption.23
People who have taken antibiotics, as these drugs have been shown to induce vitamin B12 deficiency.24
Signs You May Be B12 Deficient
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency often start gradually and worsen over time, culminating in a variety of physical and mental symptoms, including:
A numb, tingly, "pins and needles" sensation in your hands, legs or feet, which may indicate possible nerve damage.
A red, swollen, "beefy" tongue with fewer papillae "bumps" containing taste buds.
Mouth sores/ulcers.
Blurry or double vision, or shadows in your field of vision, caused by optic nerve damage from a B12 deficiency.
Yellow skin (jaundice), an indication that your red blood cells are degrading, which releases a yellow pigment in the process.
Unstable, wobbly and dizzy feelings, which are signs there may not be enough oxygen in your blood, related to low B12.
Memory loss, which may be a red flag when it has no other potential cause.
Anemia
Fatigue and weakness
In adults, B12 deficiency can develop in about six years, which is how long it takes to deplete your body's B12 stores.25 It's important to be aware of your intake and catch a B12 deficiency early, as impaired brain and nerve development can be very difficult to correct once the damage is done.
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) a day, but there is some controversy over whether this is enough, especially for the elderly.26 You don't need to worry about overdosing on B12 because it's water-soluble, so your body will simply flush out any excess.
If you have a minor deficiency, increasing B12-rich foods, such as grass fed beef liver, wild rainbow trout and wild sockeye salmon, in your diet can help, but for more serious deficiency you may need weekly shots of vitamin B12 or daily high-dose B12 supplements.
As for which type of B12 supplement is best, methylcobalamin, which is the naturally occurring form found in food, is more absorbable and your body retains it in greater amounts than cyanocobalamin, the form of B12 found in most supplements.27
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Neem Oil May Help Improve Skin Health and Protect Plants
Table of Contents
Potential Health Benefits of Neem Oil
Agricultural Use of Neem Oil
Neem Oil Composition
How to Make Infused Neem Oil at Home
How Does Neem Oil Work?
The Side Effects of Neem Oil That You Should Be Aware Of
Have You Experienced the Benefits of Neem Oil?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Neem Oil
Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a tree that's native to India, but is also found in other parts of Asia, as well as in Africa and America. It is highly valued for its medicinal properties and has been extensively used in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine for thousands of years.1 It was even called "Arishtha" in Sanskrit, which means "reliever of sickness."2
From the bark to its flowers, every part of the neem tree can be utilized for medicinal, industrial and agricultural purposes. One of the ways to reap the health benefits of the neem tree is by using the oil that's extracted from its seeds.3
Organic neem oil has a strong, pungent aroma and an extremely bitter taste. Its color may vary from yellow to brown, depending on the method that's used to extract it.4,5 While it doesn't smell or taste as enticing as other herbal oils, neem oil offers a wide array of benefits and uses, making it a worthy addition to your regimen.
Potential Health Benefits of Neem Oil
According to modern studies and ancient medicinal beliefs, neem oil may potentially provide the following health benefits:
• Helps improve hair health — Neem oil's moisturizing property helps improve hair texture and relieve dry scalp.6 It also helps clear dandruff with its antifungal properties, and helps eradicate head lice by acting as a natural insecticide.7
• Helps improve skin health — Neem oil may help protect the skin against free radicals, thanks to its antioxidant properties.8 It may also help promote collagen production, which helps slow down the aging process and lessens the appearance of fine lines.9
• Helps relieve certain skin problems — Neem oil provides antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which may be useful for alleviating skin problems, such as acne, psoriasis, scabies and eczema.10,11
• Helps reduce inflammation — In a study published in the Journal of Health Research and Reviews, albino rats with carrageenan-induced hind paw edema were given different doses of neem seed oil.
Results show that neem seed oil helps inhibit paw edema when given at doses of 0.25 to 2 milliliters per kilogram of body weight, proving that neem oil has a significant anti-inflammatory action.12
• Aids in the wound healing process — Neem oil can be applied topically on minor wounds to help soothe inflammation, speed up healing and keep further infections from occurring.13
• Helps lower the risk for cancer — According to a study published in the journal Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta, neem seed oil may help inhibit the growth of cervical cancer cells, and help induce autophagy and apoptosis in prostate and colon cancer cells.14
Agricultural Use of Neem Oil
In addition to its medicinal uses, neem oil is also found to be useful for protecting crops against pests, as it provides natural pesticidal properties. Among its active compounds, azadirachtin affects insects the most, causing 90 percent of the pesticidal effect on most pests, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science.15
Neem oil has other broad effects on insects: It helps alter development, inhibits feeding, hinders reproduction and suppresses the fertility of pests. Pollinator insects, such as bees, are not likely to be harmed by neem oil, since it must be ingested in order for it to take effect. It's also nontoxic to birds, mammals and other plants, but it's moderately toxic to fish and other aquatic animals.16,17
When used properly, neem oil may also help get rid of plant insects that are difficult to eradicate, such as spider mites. However, to successfully get rid of spider mites, you have to apply neem oil on your plant frequently (ideally once a week or more), preferably when the temperature is below 90 degrees Fahrenheit and when the plant is not water-stressed.18
Neem Oil Composition
Neem oil contains around 100 biologically active compounds, the most important of which is azadirachtin, which gives it those potent pesticidal properties and antiradical scavenging activity previously discussed.19 Another active compound of neem oil is nimbin, which contributes to its antiseptic, antifungal, antipyretic and antihistamine properties.
Other important compounds in neem oil include nimbidin, nimbidol, gedunin, salannin and quercetin. It also contains amino acids, sulfurous compounds, flavonoids and essential fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid, all of which are vital for your overall health.20,21
How to Make Infused Neem Oil at Home
Extracting oil from neem seeds can be an elaborate process. One method is through cold-pressing, which involves opening the seeds and separating the kernels. The kernels are then pressed using industrial expellers or wooden presses. Other methods of extraction are steam distillation and solvent extraction. However, these yield lower-quality oil compared to cold-pressing.22
If you don't have the equipment to extract oil from neem seeds, you may opt to make cold-infused neem oil at home. This method transfers the healing properties of neem into a carrier oil,23 and since it doesn't involve heat, will keep the beneficial compounds from breaking down.24 Follow these steps to create your own cold-infused neem oil at home:25,26
Cold-Infused Neem Oil
Fill up half a sterilized jar with neem seed and/or leaves, and then spoon coconut oil over the top to fill up the remaining half of the jar.
Gently stir the mixture with a dry spoon to coat the leaves and seeds with oil.
Place wax paper over the top of the jar then close it tightly with the lid. Store it away from direct sunlight for four to six weeks, gently shaking it every few days.
Strain the leaves and seeds from the mixture using a cheesecloth, then put the oil in a freshly sterilized jar. Label the jar with the date and store it in a cool, dry place.
How Does Neem Oil Work?
Several studies have been done on neem oil to examine its biological compounds and determine its mechanism of action.
For instance, a study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine suggests that neem oil's ability to fight against free radicals is caused by its rich antioxidant content, along with the compounds azadirachtin and nimbolide, which show "concentration-dependent antiradical scavenging activity."27
Another study published in the journal Investigational New Drug shows that the limonoids found in neem oil may be useful in the management of cancer, as it helps inhibit cell proliferation and induce cancer cell death.28
The Side Effects of Neem Oil That You Should Be Aware Of
While neem oil is generally considered safe for most adults, it is highly potent because of its powerful compounds, which is why it may cause side effects in people with the following conditions:29
Autoimmune disease — Neem oil may stimulate the immune system and make it more active, which may exacerbate the symptoms of autoimmune disease.
Diabetes — If you're taking any diabetes medication, it's best to avoid using neem oil without monitoring your glucose levels carefully, as it may cause your blood sugar levels to drop too low.
Pregnancy — If taken orally during pregnancy, neem oil may cause miscarriage.
Neem oil is also considered unsafe for children, especially when taken orally. Some of the side effects of neem oil in children include vomiting, diarrhea and seizures, to name a few.30
Have You Experienced the Benefits of Neem Oil?
With scientific studies to support its benefits, there's no doubt that neem oil is worth a try. If you're planning to buy this herbal oil from the grocery or from online stores, make sure that it comes from a trusted organic brand to guarantee that it's not contaminated with substances that may potentially harm your health.31
You should also check its color, consistency and smell. Neem oil should look yellow and cloudy, with a pungent odor that smells similar to garlic and sulfur.32
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Neem Oil
Q: Where can you buy neem oil?
A: Neem oil is widely available in groceries and online organic stores.
Q: How do you use neem oil?
A: You can apply diluted neem oil on your skin or mix it into cosmetics and personal care products, such as shampoos and body lotions.33 Do a patch test first to see if your skin reacts well to neem oil before you apply it to your body.
A patch test is also recommended if you're planning to use neem oil for plants, as some plants may be killed by this herbal concoction. After you've made sure that it's not toxic for your plant, apply it on a regular basis to keep pests at bay. Avoid using it when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit or when the plant is water-stressed.34,35
Q: Is neem oil safe?
A: Neem oil is considered safe when applied on the skin for up to two weeks. However, using it for prolonged periods of time may lead to adverse effects, such as liver and kidney problems.36
Q: What is neem oil good for?
A: Neem oil may help improve skin and hair health with its moisturizing and antioxidant properties. It also helps alleviate a variety of skin problems due to its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies also show that it may help lower the risk for cancer, as it helps inhibit cancer cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis.37,38
In addition to its medicinal uses, neem oil can also be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides, since it has natural insecticidal properties.39
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How to Avoid Hormone Disrupting Chemicals
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Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are similar in structure to natural hormones such as the female sex hormone estrogen, the male sex hormone androgen and thyroid hormones, which allow them to interfere with development,1 reproduction, neurological functioning, metabolism, satiety and your immune system function, and much more.2
For example, they may block certain hormonal signals, alter your hormone levels, or change the way your natural hormones travel through your body. As noted in a World Health Organization (WHO) report published in 2012,3,4 the effects of EDCs on your hormonal systems “can lead to obesity, infertility or reduced fertility, learning and memory difficulties, Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, as well as a variety of other diseases."
What’s more, since hormones operate at parts per million and parts per billion concentrations, the Endocrine Society warns there may be no safe level of exposure for many EDCs,5 and that the health effects are so great everyone needs to take proactive steps to avoid them — especially those seeking to get pregnant, pregnant women and young children.6
Strong Evidence Supports Warnings to Avoid EDCs
Commenting on the publication of its first scientific statement7,8 on EDCs in 2009, the Endocrine Society noted that:9
“The evidence for adverse reproductive outcomes (infertility, cancers, malformations) from exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals is strong, and there is mounting evidence for effects on other endocrine systems, including thyroid, neuroendocrine, obesity and metabolism, and insulin and glucose homeostasis ...
Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals may be transmitted to further generations through germline epigenetic modifications or from continued exposure of offspring to the environmental insult.”
At the end of 2015, the Endocrine Society issued its second scientific statement10 on EDCs, noting that in the years gone by, “a substantially larger body of literature has solidified our understanding of plausible mechanisms underlying EDC actions and how exposures in animals and humans — especially during development — may lay the foundation for disease later in life.”
In short, the evidence is only getting stronger, showing that exposure to EDCs in the environment can have significant health effects for both children and adults, and that these effects can be further transmitted to future generations. The report also points out that causal links between exposure and manifestation of disease have been substantiated, as have low-dose effects. The strongest evidence, the report found, is for the link between EDC exposure and:
Obesity
Diabetes
Female reproduction
Male reproduction
Hormone-sensitive cancers in women
Prostate problems in men
Thyroid problems
Neurodevelopment and neuroendocrine system effects
Another report11 published in 2015 estimated the financial burden of EDC exposure in the European Union, producing a median cost of 157 billion euros or $209 billion annually for health care expenses related to IQ loss, intellectual disability, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obesity, diabetes, cryptorchidism, infertility and mortality associated with reduced testosterone levels.
The 12 Worst Hormone Disrupting Chemicals
While the list of known EDCs is extensive, and the list of possible EDCs even more so, a dozen of the worst and most widely used ones, identified by the Environmental Working Group in 2013, include:12
Bisphenol-A (BPA)
Dioxin
Atrazine
Phthalates
Perchlorate
Fire retardants (polybrominated diethyl ethers or PBDEs)
Lead
Mercury
Arsenic
Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs)
Organophosphate pesticides
Glycol ethers
10 Common Routes of EDC Exposure and How to Avoid Them
According to the Hormone Health Network, which is a part of the Endocrine Society, there are an estimated 1,000 man-made chemicals on the market with endocrine-disrupting properties.13 Following are 10 common routes of exposure, and some commonsense tips for how to avoid them:
Personal care products — Shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, cosmetics and other personal care products often contain EDCs, including (but certainly not limited to) phthalates, associated with testicular cancer, genital deformations, low sperm counts and infertility in a number of species, including polar bears, deer, whales and otters, just to name a few. Another EDC found in this category is triclosan, found in many products boasting antibacterial properties.
Avoid by: Switching to certified organic and/or homemade personal care products. You can also try to cut down on the number of personal care products you use every day. Avoid antibacterial soaps, wipes and sanitizer gels. All you need to degerm your hands is warm water and a mild soap using proper handwashing technique.
Drinking water — Your drinking water may be contaminated with atrazine, glyphosate, arsenic, perchlorate and/or fire retardant chemicals,14 all of which may disrupt your endocrine system.
Avoid by: Filtering your water, both at your tap and your shower/bath, using a high-quality water filtration system.
Canned goods and nonstick food packaging — These are common sources of BPA and similar EDCs such as BPS, or other toxic substitutes such as PVC.15 According to a 2017 investigation by the Center for Environmental Health, 38 percent of canned foods still contain BPA.16
Avoid by: Buying products that come in glass bottles and jars rather than plastic or cans.
Conventionally grown produce and CAFO meat, poultry and dairy products — Pesticides, herbicides and industrial runoff may coat your conventionally grown fruits and vegetables in EDCs. Animals raised on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) also typically contain antibiotics, hormones and other industrial chemicals that may disrupt your endocrine system.
Avoid by: Buying and eating organic produce and grass fed animal products to minimize exposure to endocrine-disrupting pesticides, herbicides and veterinary drugs.
Also, wash all produce before eating, even if it’s organic. Organic foods have a 30 percent lower risk of pesticide contamination,17 but 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.
Research suggests pesticide residues on apples are most effectively removed using a 1% baking soda and water solution. The researchers recommend using 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 2 cups of water and gently scrubbing your produce to remove surface pesticides.
High-mercury fish — Fish contaminated with high levels of mercury and other heavy metals are problematic because such metals also disrupt your hormonal balance. Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, sea bass and tuna are among the worst offenders.
Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have placed canned tuna on its “choices to avoid” list for pregnant women and small children due to its high mercury levels. Farmed fish (the "CAFOS of the sea") also tend to be higher in contaminants and are better off avoided. Farmed salmon is among the very worst in this regard, which is why I recommend avoiding all farmed salmon.
Avoid by: Carefully selecting seafood known to be low in mercury and other contaminants. Some of your safest and healthiest options include smaller fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is another good choice.
For more information about mercury in fish, see the Mercury Policy Project’s website, Mercury and Fish: The Facts. They have a helpful guide you can print out for reference. A 2015 article in Investigate West also addressed this issue, and includes a guide to how many meals per week you can safely eat based on any given seafood’s contamination level.
Kitchenware — Plastic containers and bottles may contain BPA or other endocrine-disrupting plastic chemicals that can leach into your food, especially if the plastic is heated. Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used to create nonstick, stain-resistant and water-repellant surfaces are also toxic and highly persistent, both in your body and in the environment.
When heated, nonstick cookware releases perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to thyroid disease, infertility and developmental and reproductive problems.
Avoid by: Using glass containers and ceramic and enameled cast iron cookware, both of which are durable, easy to clean (even the toughest cooked-on foods can be wiped away after soaking it in warm water), and completely inert, which means they won't release any harmful chemicals into your home. If you do use plastic containers, do not heat food in them in the microwave.
Cleaning products — Commercial solutions used to clean your floors, toilets, oven, windows and more typically contain industrial chemicals that may throw your hormones out of whack. Many EDCs also lurk in fragrances, and this applies to personal care products as well.
Avoid by: Creating your own cleaning products using different combinations of vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and even coconut oil. To get you started, see “Keep a Clean House With Nontoxic Cleaners.” Avoid scented products, including air fresheners, scented trash bags and so on.
Household dust — Fire retardant chemicals are often found lurking in household dust as they shed from treated furniture such as couches, mattresses and carpet padding.
Avoid by: Buying “green” nontoxic furniture, mattresses and building materials whenever possible and using a HEPA filter for your vacuum. When mopping and dusting, use a wet mop or rag to avoid scattering the dust.
Office products — Ink cartridges, toners and other solvents common in office environments are another common source of EDCs.
Avoid by: Handling such products with care and minimize your exposure as much as possible.
Cash register receipts — Thermal paper typically contains BPA, and research shows handling this type of paper is enough to increase the BPA level in your body.
Holding the paper for just five seconds was enough to transfer BPA onto a person's skin, and the amount of BPA transferred increased by about 10 times if the fingers were wet or greasy (such as if you've just applied lotion or eaten greasy food).
Finally, because receipts are often stored next to paper currency in people's wallets, paper currency may also be contaminated with BPA. In a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers analyzed paper currencies from 21 countries for the presence of BPA, and the chemical was detected in every sample.
Avoid by: Using paperless receipts via email or text message. Avoid carrying receipts in your wallet or purse, as it appears the chemical can transfer onto other surfaces.
It would also be wise to wash your hands after handling receipts and currency, and avoid handling them particularly if you've just put on lotion or have any other greasy substance on your hands, as this may increase your exposure. If you're a cashier or bank teller who handles such papers often, you may want to wear gloves, especially if you're pregnant or of child-bearing age.
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WishCycling - Is Your Plastic Really Recycled?
The growing amount of plastics found in the ocean is a result of human behavior and is slowly destroying a vast resource responsible for supporting life. According to the National Ocean Service,1 the ocean produces over half the oxygen across the world and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere.
While you may have thought this honor resided with the Amazon rainforest, it rests on the shoulders of the oceans covering 70% of the surface of the planet.2 The health of the ocean is responsible for climate regulation and provides economic benefit producing $282 billion in goods and services from ocean dependent businesses.
These businesses employ 3 million people.3 The World Wildlife Federation4 points out the oceans are an integral part of the water cycle in climate regulation and clean rainfall. More than a billion people consume protein harvested from the ocean.5
Plastics are killing massive whales, dolphins, birds and sea turtles. Plastic bags and bottles washed up on the beach have created more than just an impact on your next beach vacation. The ocean may be where we enjoy surfing, sailing, diving and just relaxing, but it serves a much greater purpose.
Unfortunately, the manufacture and disposal of single use plastics has significantly impacted the health of ocean wildlife and threatens the future of human survival. While we have relied on recycling to reduce this impact, it appears recycling is becoming wishcycling.
Are You Wish-Cycling or Recycling?
Recycling was originally designed to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):6
"Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community, the economy and the environment."
According to the EPA, practically everything can be recycled, but only certain items are accepted, and even then they have to be properly sorted or they still end up in the dump.7 Recycling 2,000 pounds of paper may save 17 trees, two barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy and 3.2 cubic yards of landfill. However, it's important to remember collection is not the same as recycling.
According to the University of Southern Indiana,8 when 2,000 pounds of paper are recycled it may save 17 trees, 380 gallons of water, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water. Recycling paper without contamination has a large impact on resources, as those 2,000 pounds represent a 58% water savings and 64% energy savings, and releases 60 pounds less of air pollution.
Unfortunately, where local governments once made money selling paper, bottles and cans, regions like those around Baltimore have now started spending taxpayer money to recycle, as it brings just 25% of the price it commanded seven years ago.
Recycling experts are calling this wishcycling, created by the increasing number of items that cannot be recycled, yet land in the blue bin at the bottom of the driveway. Michael Taylor, director of recycling operations for the North American environmental services company Waste Management, commented:9 "People are thinking they're doing the right thing. Our message is, when in doubt, throw it out."
In a Waste Management press release, the company discussed the impact of China's new import policies.10 Going forward, China will not purchase recyclables if there is just a fraction of nonrecyclable items mixed in. As a result, the focus must be on recycling the right way to reduce the amount of garbage ending up in landfills and plastics making their way to the ocean.
The key challenge is to reduce contamination in what most people already consider garbage. In the past, the message has emphasized the importance of placing recyclable items into recycling containers.
Once there, it was out of sight, out of mind and up to recyclers to ensure the discarded materials ended up in the right place. The focus must change to teaching consumers that only recycled material may be place in their recycling containers.11
"[P]lacing non-recyclable materials into the cart leads to additional economic and environmental costs, with no benefits and (ironically) less recycling. We call this wishful recycling 'wishcycling' and it is lethal to our nation's recycling programs," Waste Management says.12
Current Habits Are Driving Costs of Recycling
Waste Management is one of the industry giants in recycling and garbage control. They report the average rate of contamination has grown to 25%.13 This means 500 pounds for every 2,000 collected at the curb is ultimately sent to landfills and not recycled.
This increases the cost of sorting material and transporting and disposing trash, and means items that may have been recycled are ruined due to contamination. China instituted a contamination limit requiring processors to shrink 500 pounds of contaminated recyclables to 10 pounds of contamination.
These guidelines increase the cost of processing. To ensure recycling remains sustainable it is necessary for individuals to commit to recycling only the right things, in the right way. Short of this, we all are contributing to a problem with a negative environmental impact.
Most of the time, recycling is done to cut back on waste being sent to landfills. But when an incorrect item or material is added, it affects the recycling material around it. In other words, the greasy pizza box is not recyclable and also may have contaminated aluminum cans and glass jars.14
Recycling facilities use automated sorters to separate materials. A series of spinning wheels toss the material so newspapers and other lighter-weight papers are up and heavy materials fall to the bottom. Magnets will pull out metal cans and an optical scanner is used to find plastics. Once it's sorted, the material is pressed and tied into bales.
The rising costs incurred by contaminated recyclables are affecting local and regional governments as they must pay a processing fee for the items residents recycle. The Baltimore Sun15 reports that in 2015, Carroll County would be paid $15 per ton of recyclables sent to the Waste Management Elkridge facility. It now pays the facility an average of $20 per ton to get rid of it.
There Is More Plastic Pollution in the Ocean Than Previously Measured
A new study published in Nature16 demonstrates the amount of plastic dumped into the ocean has been increasing at a rate greater than anticipated. The researchers presented a time series of events beginning in 1957 and ending in 2016, covering 6.5 million nautical miles.
The records were based on plastics entangled in a marine sampler and provided consistent information from some of the earliest records to the present. While many past studies17,18 have focused on the amount of microplastic found in the oceans being consumed by wildlife, this study found a significant increase in the amount of macroplastic, such as entire plastic bags, fishing gear and twine.
The original focus of the research was on plankton. However, the researchers noted the volunteers fixing the equipment consistently talked about how much plastic was creating problems.
Co-author Clare Ostle, Ph.D., research scientist at the Marine Biological Association, commented there were few historical records of ocean plastic pollution, so they used the incidence in their study to determine how often entanglements occurred.19
They had 60 years of ocean data covering the North Atlantic and adjacent oceans and found entanglement in the equipment increased 10 times from 2000 to the present. The first bag found in their equipment was off the coast of Northwest Ireland.20
Experts estimate21 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. Additionally, the growth in plastic production since its introduction has been extraordinary,22 much of it single use plastic requiring disposal. The researchers wrote their findings were the first to confirm a significant increase in plastic pollution in the open ocean since the 1990s.23
Environmental Impact of Plastic May Soon Rival Toxic Exhaust Emissions
They hypothesize there may be a sink of plastic within the global oceans, leading to an underestimation of surface sea plastics. This has significant implications for plastic pollution worldwide.
Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer of North America for Oceana, a nonpartisan nonprofit group dedicated to protecting and restoring the oceans, was not involved in these studies. She told CNN she was encouraged to see people trying to reduce our carbon footprint but has watched the growth of plastic manufacturing with increasing concern. She commented:24
"Plastic is a cheap product to make, but it comes at a high price to our environment. I can't even stand the thought of it, when I go to the beach and see all the plastic on the waves and in the sand. It's found in most every bird stomach and in sea turtles and whales that starve to death, and the problem is getting much worse."
Information published25 in the journal Nature Climate Change estimates that if the trend of plastic production continues, it will comprise 15% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In comparison, all global forms of transportation now account for 25% all emissions,26 up from 14% in 2010.27
Your Recycling Mistakes Impact Local Landfills
You may have been filling your recycle bin in the hope of reducing the impact on landfills. However, what you may not realize is while cardboard is welcome, greasy pizza boxes are not. And, if plastic containers have too much food residue, they may defile an entire bale of plastic.
Paper is recycled but if it's shredded it gets stuck to glass bottles and becomes useless. David Biderman, CEO of The Solid Waste Association of North America, says:28
"Many Americans are not very good recyclers. What we've lost sight of is that we should be reducing the amount of waste that we generate. It became easier to just throw things in the blue bin."
Recycling requirements vary by municipality, but in general consider these suggestions to determine if you're making common recycling mistakes. To verify recycling guidelines in your area, contact your local facility.
• Soft plastic — Soft plastics such as plastic shopping bags and food storage bags cannot be recycled as they clog the sorting machines. Never place recyclables in plastic bags,29 as the recycling facility will toss the entire bag with its contents into a landfill. Instead, collect your plastic bags and take them to your local supermarket for recycling.
• Hard plastic — Most rigid plastics such as bottles and rigid packaging may be recycled but there are exceptions. Look for the triangular recycling symbol.30 The number tells you what kind of plastic the product is made of. Keep in mind whether or not an item may be recycled will depend on your local recycling rules, so get the specifics from your municipality.
Plastic straws, unfortunately, cannot be recycled and are destined for a landfill no matter what, which is why they're best avoided in the first place. In all instances, remember to separate bottles and caps, as they are made from different materials and cannot be recycled together. Typically, caps will need to be discarded as they are too small to be sorted by the machines.
• Food containers — Plastic materials with food residues cannot be recycled, so make sure you wash any recyclable plastics in contact with food or beverages, with the exception of water. Allow them to dry before you place it in the recycle bin.31
Any paper products with grease will be considered a contaminant as they cannot be recycled, such as pizza boxes. Instead, remove the greasy section and toss it in the trash while recycling the rest.
• These items cannot be recycled — Your municipality may restrict more than the list of items gathered by Mother Nature Network.32 Others have special programs to deal with larger items or hazardous materials. It is always best to check with your local municipality.
Aerosol cans
Batteries
Brightly dyed paper
Ceramics and pottery
Diapers
Hazardous waste
Incandescent light bulbs
Household glass
Yogurt cups
Medical waste
Napkins and paper towels
Paper towels
Pizza boxes
Plastic bags and plastic wrap
Plastic screw-on tops
Juice boxes and other coated cardboard drink containers
Plastic-coated boxes, plastic food boxes, or plastic without recycling mark
Tyvek shipping envelopes
Shredded paper
Styrofoam
Takeout containers
Tires
Wire hangers
Wet paper
Recycle Like an Expert
Proper recycling is more important than ever to reduce the impact on our environment. But there is more than one way to recycle your waste. Although composting may not sound glamorous, or even important, when you dig below the surface you realize diverting food waste from landfills may have a large impact.
Food waste is the largest component in landfills, making up 22% of the waste stream.33 Additionally, when compost is added to the soil it adds valuable organic matter and reduces topsoil loss. You'll find more information about recycling like an expert and using compost to improve your soil, whether you have a large or small space, in these previous articles:
Top 11 Tips to Become an Expert at Recycling
How to Properly Compost and Recycle
Practical Composting Know-How for Small-Space Living
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The Trouble With Dentistry
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research,1 92% of adults aged 20 to 64 have had cavities in their permanent teeth. Interestingly, Caucasian adults and those living in families with higher incomes have had more decay, or at least have been treated for more cavities. Adults in the same age range have an average of 3.28 decayed or missing permanent teeth.
While many believe water fluoridation is an effective way of preventing tooth decay, supporting facts are just not there. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data reported by the Fluoride Action Network, the U.S., which provides fluoridated water to 74.6% of community water systems,2 has higher rates of tooth decay than many countries that do not fluoridate their water, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.3
If fluoridation were effective, you would expect to see higher numbers of cavities in communities without fluoridated water and the number of cavities to decline when fluoride is introduced. Instead, demographic studies have demonstrated fluoridated water has little to do with cavity prevention.4,5,6
Instead, caries often follow demineralization of the tooth triggered by acids formed during bacterial fermentation of dietary sugars. Just as depression is not triggered by a lack of Prozac, dental caries are not caused by a lack of fluoride — a neurotoxic compound that has no biological benefits. Excess dietary sugar is the most significant factor driving dental decay.7
Dentistry Lacks Sufficient Research to Substantiate Many Procedures
The American Dental Association (ADA) claims the Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) as their intellectual property.8 In 2000,9 the code was named as a HIPAA standard code set, and any electronic dental claim must use these procedural codes. According to the ADA, there are times when a code is not available and dentists are encouraged to request additions and revisions.
This process is different from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) based on data developed by WHO,10 which copyrights the information and publishes the classification.11 An adaptation of the classification for use in the U.S. is completed by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and must conform to WHO conventions.
Oftentimes when expensive surgery or a regimen of pills is recommended, most seek a second opinion. However, the same is not true when you're sitting in the dentist chair. A Cochrane review of dental studies12 finds many of the standard dental and cosmetic treatments are not substantiated by research.
For instance, they could not find enough evidence to support or oppose the surgical removal of asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth,13 to prove if antibiotic prophylaxis is effective or ineffective in those at risk for bacterial endocarditis before a dental procedure,14 and only three trials were found analyzing the efficacy of filling cavities in primary teeth, none of which were conclusive.15
In other words, much of the research in the field of dentistry is sadly lacking. While the recommendations may be appropriate, they may also not be, and many simply do not have adequate evidenced-based science to warrant their use.
As noted in recent article in The Atlantic,16 "[W]hat limited data we have don't clearly indicate whether it's better to repair a root-canaled tooth with a crown or a filling." Derek Richards, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry at the University of Dundee, commented on the gaping hole of evidence in the field of dentistry:17
"The body of evidence for dentistry is disappointing. Dentists tend to want to treat or intervene. They are more akin to surgeons than they are to physicians. We suffer a little from that. Everybody keeps fiddling with stuff, trying out the newest thing, but they don't test them properly in a good-quality trial."
Anatomy of a Tooth
According to the Academy of General Dentistry,18 at least 40 million adults in the U.S. suffer from sensitive teeth. They describe the sensitivity as being caused by the movement of fluid within tiny tubes located in the dentin, or the layer of tissue found beneath the hard enamel. When the fluid reaches the nerve, it causes irritation and pain.
These tiny tubules are exposed when your enamel is worn down or the gums have receded. This increases your risk of experiencing pain while eating or drinking hot or cold foods. The Cleveland Clinic19 lists some factors that may lead to sensitivity, including brushing too hard, gum disease, cracked teeth, teeth grinding and acidic foods.
The tubules branch throughout the tooth and are different between peripheral and the inner aspects.20 The branching pattern reveals an intricate and profuse system crisscrossing the intertubular dentin.
Studies demonstrate anaerobic bacteria and gram positive rods, as well as a large number of bacterial species, may be found within this tubule system in those suffering periodontal disease. The researchers concluded:21
"It seems clear that, in more than half of the infected roots, bacteria are present in the deep dentin close to the cementum and that anaerobic culturing of dentin is more sensitive than histology to detect these bacteria."
Further research finds a necrotic dental pulp may develop unnoticed for years and the course of the disease is modulated by the variance of the microbiota in the root canal space and the capacity of the individual's immune system.22
Another study23 found the environment of the deep layers of the endodontic dental area is anaerobic, favoring the growth of anaerobes, including Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Propionibacterium.
Avoid Root Canals Whenever Possible
Root canals are not your only option. Teeth are similar to other systems in your body as they require blood supply, venous drainage and nerve innervations. Teeth that have undergone a root canal are dead and typically become a source of chronic bacterial toxicity in your body. In one study published in 2010, the authors wrote:24
"Root canal therapy has been practiced ever since 1928 and the success rate has tremendously increased over the years owing to various advancements in the field. One main reason is the complete understanding of the microbiology involved in the endodontic pathology."
If any other organ in your body lost blood supply and lymphatic drainage it would die. Your physician would recommend it being removed so necrosis and bacteria would not kill you. But dead teeth are commonly left in your mouth. Anaerobic bacteria thrive in your dentin tubes and the blood supply surrounding the dead teeth drains the toxicity, allowing it to spread throughout your body.
This toxicity may lead to a number of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, irritable bowel disease and depression. Dr. George Meinig has a unique perspective on the underlying dangers of root canal therapy as he was one of the founding members of the American Association of Endodontists, root canal specialists.25
When he wasn't filling canals, he was teaching the technique to dentist across the country. After spending decades practicing endodontics, he retired and began pouring over the detailed research of Dr. Weston Price. He was shocked to find valid documentation of systemic illnesses resulting from the latent infections lingering in the filled canals.
The result was his book "Root Canal Cover Up." In an interview with me, Meinig describes the result of Price's research findings and credible reasons why you should avoid a root canal. Price's work demonstrated that many who suffered chronic degenerative diseases could trace the origins to root canals.
The most frequently reported conditions were heart and circulatory diseases. The next most common diseases were of the joints and those of the brain and nervous system. Meinig assumes all root filled teeth harbor bacteria and other infective agents, but not everyone is made ill since those with strong immune systems may be able to prevent bacterial colonies from taking hold.
Oral Health Inextricably Linked to Your Overall Health
However, Meinig cautions that over time, most who have undergone a root canal seem to develop some type of systemic symptoms. If you choose to have a dead tooth removed, just pulling the tooth is not enough. Price found bacteria in tissue and bone adjacent to the tooth's root. Consequently, Meinig developed a protocol he describes in his book to ensure no bacterial growth is left.
Historically, dentistry and medicine were separated. It's unfortunate how many fail to fully appreciate the influence oral health has on overall health. The delicate balance of bacteria in your mouth is as important to your health as your gut microbiome.
Periodontal disease, which affects the soft tissue and bone, is triggered by an increase in Porphyromonas gingivalis,26 a bacteria that impairs your immune response. Dental caries have been causally linked to Streptococcus mutans.27 In turn, your oral health impacts the rest of your body and they have a significant impact on your risk of disease.
For example, Type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease are strongly connected,28 as are cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease.29 Research30 has demonstrated failing to brush on a daily basis may increase your risk of dementia by 22 to 65%, compared to brushing three times a day, and good oral hygiene may lower your risk of pneumonia by 40%.31
When the bacteria causing tooth decay and gum disease enter your circulatory system, your body increases the release of C-reactive protein known to lead to many chronic diseases.32 Therefore it's only common sense to pay attention to your oral health, and develop good habits that support your oral microbiome.
Seek Out a Biological Dentist for Care
One step toward achieving good oral health is to seek out a biological dentist, also known as a holistic or environmental dentist. These doctors operate according to the belief system that your teeth are an integral part of your body and, hence, your overall health.33 They recognize oral and dental health have a major influence on disease and any medical treatment takes this into account.
While I recommend using a biological dentist for all your dental needs, if you're considering the removal of dental amalgams, it's absolutely essential. Most conventional dentists are unaware of the dangers involved and lack the experience to remove amalgam fillings without placing your health at risk in the process. Another strategy biological dentist use is to check the compatibility of dental materials with your body.
What's in Your Silver Fillings?
The silver fillings in your mouth are dental amalgam. As noted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),34 dental amalgam has been used to fill cavities for more than 150 years in hundreds of millions of patients around the world.
Amalgam is a mixture of metals consisting of elemental mercury and a powdered alloy of silver, tin and copper, 50% of which is elemental mercury by weight. The FDA also admits amalgam fillings release low levels of mercury in vapor form that may be inhaled and absorbed in your lungs.
Mercury is a neurotoxin.35 How your health is affected will depend on the form of mercury, the amount in the exposure and the age at which you're exposed. Additionally, how long the exposure lasts and your underlying health will determine symptoms you may experience.
Symptoms of prolonged exposure to elemental mercury may include emotional changes, insomnia, headaches and poor performance on mental function tests. In 2009, the FDA issued a final rule on dental amalgams reclassifying mercury from a class I (least risk) device to class II (more risk) and designated a special controls guidance document for dental amalgam.36
The WHO37 found mercury exposure, even in small amounts, may trigger serious health concerns and can have toxic effects on lungs and kidneys, as well as the nervous, digestive and immune systems. It is considered one of the top 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern.
Daily Care May Protect Oral Health
As Meinig discussed in our interview, the only scientifically-proven way to prevent tooth decay is through nutrition. He related how in Price's travels he found 14 cultural pockets of natives who had no access to "civilization" and ate no refined foods.
While their diets varied, they all ate whole, unrefined foods. Without access to tooth brushes, floss, fluoridated water or toothpaste, each group were almost all 100% free of caries.
For a discussion of how you may integrate holistic and preventive strategies, such as making your own toothpaste, flossing guidelines, and information on oil pulling and nutritional supplements to support your oral health, see my previous article, "Dental Dedication: Improve Your Oral Health."
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Ractopamine War Is Heating Up
The U.S. has asked China to lift a ban on U.S. pork fed the additive ractopamine, but so far China has rejected the request. China has seen huge losses in the pork industry due to African swine fever, which may lead to the deaths of up to 200 million pigs.1
Still, even while facing protein deficits as a result, the country has been resistant to importing ractopamine-treated meat. In fact, ractopamine, a beta agonist used to increase weight gain, feed efficiency and leanness in pigs, cattle and turkeys, is banned in most other countries, including China, Russia, Taiwan and the European Union.2
Only 26 major meat-producing countries allow ractopamine use,3 while at least 160 have banned it.4 The growth drug, marketed as Paylean for pigs, Optaflexx for cattle and Topmax for turkeys, is controversial not only because it's linked to adverse effects in animals but also because of human health concerns.
The continued use of the drug in U.S. meat is causing tensions during talks aimed at ending the U.S.-China trade war. According to Reuters:5
"China would likely lift a ban on U.S. poultry as part of a trade deal and may buy more pork to meet a growing supply deficit, but it is not willing to allow a prohibited growth drug used in roughly half the U.S. hog herd, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations said."
Ractopamine Mimics Stress Hormones, Leads to Health Problems in Pigs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of ractopamine in feed for pigs in 1999, later adding in approval for cattle and turkeys. The approval was based largely on studies conducted by the drug's maker, Elanco, which focused not on safety for the animals or humans, but rather on economics, including what dosage to administer to raise bigger animals, faster.6
According to the Center for Food Safety (CFS), "The drug mimics stress hormones and increases the rate at which the animals convert feed to muscle."7 In so doing, however, a number of adverse effects have been reported in pigs, including high stress levels, lameness, hyperactivity, broken limbs and death.
Problems with behavior and cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, reproductive and endocrine systems have also been reported.
"Fed to an estimated 60 to 80 percent of pigs in the U.S. meat industry, ractopamine use has resulted in more reports of sickened or dead pigs than any other livestock drug on the market," CFS noted. "According to FDA's own calculations, more pigs have been adversely affected by ractopamine than by any other animal drug — more than 160,000."8
One study of ractopamine in monkeys showed the animals developed rapid heartbeat, whereas rats developed a host of birth defects ranging from cleft palate and short limbs to open eyelids and enlarged heart.9,10
Further, a study published in Translational Animal Science reported that the use of ractopamine has been associated with increased risks of nonambulatory and injured pigs, increased cattle mortality on feedlots and abnormal cases of hoof sloughing at beef packing plants.11 In short, hoof problems appear common in cattle taking the drug and related beta agonist drugs such as zilpateral (Zilmax), including the outer shell of the hoof falling off.
Pigs taking the drug are more likely to lose the ability to walk and become more difficult to handle and transport, succumbing more easily to stress as well.12 Ractopamine-treated pigs may become more aggressive and are more likely to be handled roughly by their handlers.
Due to their stimulated aggressive behavior, pigs taking the drug are also more likely to be injured during transport.13 In a review of the evidence, the researchers found additional adverse effects depending on the dose:14
"The evidence presented in the current review demonstrates that RAC [ractopamine] fed pigs may be more difficult to handle at doses above 5 mg/kg and physiological responses and rates of non-ambulatory pigs may increase when RAC fed pigs are subjected to aggressive handling, especially at the 20 mg/kg dose."
Health Risks of Ractopamine to Humans
The Codex Alimentarius Commission approved a maximum residue level of ractopamine of 10 parts per billion (ppb) in pork and beef, 40 ppb in liver and 90 ppb in kidneys.15 Only one human study was reviewed in the setting of this international standard — a study that involved six men, one of whom dropped out of the study due to adverse effects.16 Further, according to CFS:17
"Data from the European Food Safety Authority indicates that ractopamine causes elevated heart rates and heart-pounding sensations in humans. Other examples of health problems include information from the Sichuan Pork Trade Chamber of Commerce in China, which estimates that between 1998 and 2010, 1,700 people were poisoned from eating pork containing ractopamine."
Further, two drugs similar to ractopamine — zilpaterol and clenbuterol — are banned by the Olypmics because they affect adrenalin. In 2010, a cycler in the Tour de France failed an antidoping test for clenbuterol, which he blamed on residues from eating meat.18
A study in the journal Talanta further explained, "The use of highly active beta-agonists as growth promoters is not appropriate because of the potential hazard for human and animal health."19 There's even data showing human intoxication after consuming liver or meat from cattle treated with beta-agonists.20
Warning labels on the drug also state the risks outright, the Cornucopia Institute reported, including telling handlers to wear gloves and protective gear when handling it:21
"'WARNING: The active ingredient in Topmax, ractopamine hydrochloride, is a beta-adrenergic agonist. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure,' says the label for the turkey feed. "Not for use in humans. Keep out of the reach of children.
The Topmax 9 formulation (Type A Medicated Article) poses a low dust potential under usual conditions of handling and mixing. When mixing and handling Topmax, use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask.
Operators should wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling. If accidental eye contact occurs, immediately rinse eyes thoroughly with water. If irritation persists, seek medical attention."
Ractopamine Is Administered Right Before Slaughter
Part of what makes ractopamine so controversial is the timing of its use. While some other livestock drugs are stopped in the weeks leading up to slaughter, giving some time for them to dissipate from the animal's system, ractopamine is administered in the weeks before slaughter.
When the U.S. Agricultural Research Service tested more than 1,000 pork kidney samples for four veterinary drugs, including ractopamine, the drug was detected in 22 percent.22 A Consumer Reports investigation also found detectable levels of ractopamine in about one-fifth of 240 pork products tested. The drug was also said to negatively affect the taste and tenderness of the meat.23
"While levels we found were below U.S. and international limits, Consumers Union, the policy and action arm of Consumer Reports, calls for a ban on the drug, citing insufficient evidence that it is safe," Consumer Reports noted.24 There is also evidence that the drug is present in manure, which is applied as fertilizer to soil, making it likely that it is also entering waterways, with unknown effects.25
However, research suggests the drugs may have endocrine-disrupting effects on marine species, including Japanese rice fish, or medaka.26 At least one study also showed ractopamine may be taken up by alfalfa and wheat from contaminated soil, at varying quantities depending on the concentration in soil.27
'Natural' Meat May Come From Ractopamine-Treated Animals
In a survey of more than 1,700 adults who said they try to eat healthy at least some of the time, 45% said they are likely to look for options that are all natural.28 When it comes to meat, however, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows the claim to be made for products that contain no artificial ingredients and minimal processing.
This means the meat may contain drugs, including antibiotics, hormones and preservatives, and still legally claim it's natural on the label, misleading consumers. The Animal League Defense Fund (ALDF) filed a lawsuit against meat giant Hormel for this very reason, alleging that the company engaged in potentially misleading advertising by using a Natural Choice label.
It turns out that the pigs used for Hormel Natural Choice products are the same as those used to create their spam, lunchmeat and bacon products, most of which consumers would not regard as natural. Further, most of the pigs have no access to the outdoors, and some products labeled Natural Choice came from pigs that received antibiotics and ractopamine.
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia dismissed ALDF's lawsuit, however, because the labeling is legal under the USDA definition of natural. "There's a difference between what's legal and what's ethical," Nikolas Contis, a senior partner at brand consultant PS212, told Farm Progress. "I think it's unethical. They know the words are misleading."29
ALDF attorney David Muraskin added, "It's a massive attempt to manipulate and dupe the consumer to purchase something they have no intention to purchase."30
Where to Find Truly Natural Pork
At one time, all pigs raised on U.S. family farms were heritage pigs, accustomed to roaming on pasture and in forests. The pigs don't take well to confinement conditions, however, and were soon replaced by commercial pigs bred to grow fast and tolerate crowding.
Whereas commercial pigs reach market weight in about six months, heritage pigs take about a year to do so. They're raised by a number of small farms, which typically sell the meat through farmers markets, food co-ops and occasionally to restaurants or niche markets.
The USDA doesn't define heritage breeds of pork, but the Livestock Conservancy defines them as heritage breeds if they have a long history in the U.S., are of noncommercial stock, thrive outdoors and on pasture and are purebred animals of their breed, according to Civil Eats.31
If you choose to eat pork, I encourage you to avoid CAFO meats and instead either buy your meat direct from a trusted grass fed farm raising heritage breeds or look for the American Grassfed Association (AGA) logo, a much-needed grass fed standards and certification for American-grown grass fed meat and dairy.32
The AGA standard allows for greater transparency and conformity33 and is intended to ensure the humane treatment of animals and meet consumer expectations about grass fed meat and dairy, while being feasible for small farmers to achieve.
The AGA pastured pork standards include a forage-based diet derived from pasture, animal health and welfare, no antibiotics and no added growth hormones. Because of the atrocious state of the CAFO pig industry, grass fed heritage pork is the only pork you should eat. At the very least, if you can't find grass fed heritage pork, choose organic pork products, as ractopamine is not allowed in organic foods.
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Modifying Monkeys With Genes From Human Brains?
In the latest developments that sound like they came straight from a science fiction novel, or maybe the start of a horror movie, scientists have tweaked monkey brains using human brain genes. The experiment involved transgenic rhesus monkeys, which were genetically engineered to carry human copies of MCPH1, a gene important for brain development.1
While the researchers claim the study provides value "in understanding human unique traits" in brain development, at least one of them — University of North Carolina computer scientist Martin Styner — seems to be having second thoughts and even considered removing his name from the study. Styner told MIT Technology Review:2
"Now we have created this animal which is different than it is supposed to be. When we do experiments, we have to have a good understanding of what we are trying to learn, to help society, and that is not the case here … They are trying to understand brain development. And I don't think they are getting there."
Transgenic Monkeys With Human Brain Genes Have Improved Short-Term Memory
In what was "the first attempt to experimentally interrogate the genetic basis of human brain origin using a transgenic monkey model,"3 researchers used 11 monkeys, six of which died during the experiment. The five surviving animals, however, had better short-term memory and shorter reaction times compared to nonengineered monkeys.
In human babies, MCPH1 is expressed in abundance during development, a phenomenon not seen to the same extent in nonhuman primates.4 When the researchers engineered the monkeys to carry human copies of MCPH1, no difference in brain size was found, but the monkeys performed better on memory tests and took longer to develop, similar to brains in humans.
The study was published in a Beijing journal after reportedly being rejected by Western publishers. Other experts, including James Sikela, a geneticist at the University of Colorado, also called the study risky and unethical. He told MIT Technology Review:5
"The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take. It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued."
Concerns have been raised, including by the study's own authors, that similar experiments should not be conducted in apes, as they are too closely related to humans. To alter their brains would be unethical, as making them more "human" would raise questions of whether they could lead meaningful lives.
One study author says monkeys have enough genetic differences from humans that introducing only a few human genes shouldn't cause ethical concerns. But they're already tinkering with another gene, SRGAP2C, which has been called the "humanity switch" in its role in emerging human intelligence millions of years ago. The team has already added such genes to monkeys, with unknown consequences.6
Chinese Researchers Creating Gene-Edited Babies
While scientists have made great strides in mapping out genomes of entire organisms, much remains unknown about the purpose of individual genes and how they interact with one another. As such, making tweaks to genes, even those intended to be precise, often leads to surprising and unintended consequences.
This is what makes the rapidly moving field both fascinating and terrifying, especially when it involves adding human genes to nonhuman animals — or tinkering with human genetics directly. In 2015, Chinese researchers used the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas9 to edit human embryos — a first.7
Then, in 2018, He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist, claimed to have created the world's first gene-edited babies. Although the claims haven't been vetted, Jiankui says he modified the DNA of human embryos during in vitro fertilization by disabling a gene called CCR5, which could potentially make the babies resistant to infection with HIV.8
While the U.S. National Institutes of Health does not provide funding for studies on gene-editing technologies in human embryos, some scientists believe clinical trials of human germline editing should proceed, provided they are for purposes of treating series diseases or disabilities.
Already, in one study researchers corrected a pathogenic gene mutation in human embryos 67 percent of the time9 and, in another, used CRISPR/Cas9 to investigate gene function in the earliest stages of human development.10
CRISPR technology has also been used to edit human embryos made from sperm from men carrying inherited disease mutations. The researchers successfully altered the DNA in a way that would eliminate or correct the genes causing the inherited disease.11
If the embryos were implanted into a womb and allowed to grow, the process would result in the first genetically modified children — and any engineered changes would be passed on to their own children.
FrankenPig: Dead Pig Brain Cells Restored
Adding even more questions about the possibilities of tinkering with the brain, researchers from Yale University have restored some function to dead pigs' brain cells, making them neither dead nor alive but rather "partly alive."12
"We had clear lines between 'this is alive' and 'this is dead,'" Nita A. Farahany, a bioethicist and law professor at Duke University, told The New York Times. "How do we now think about this middle category of 'partly alive'? We didn't think it could exist."13
It's long been believed that that brain cells die quickly when deprived of a blood supply. However, the study involved brains from pigs that had been killed for their meat, which had been clinically "dead" for four hours.
An experimental solution was then pumped into the brains for six hours, bringing oxygen to the tissue and blocking nerve signals in order to keep the cells inactive. Researchers believed they might be preserved better this way, but also wanted to circumvent the possibility of the unthinkable, The New York Times reported:14
"[T]he investigators also did not want to take a chance that the brains might regain consciousness, unlikely as that seemed. Had the team seen electrical activity suggesting actual consciousness, they planned to give the brains anesthetic drugs and cool them immediately to stop the process."
After treating the brains with the solution, they showed some function was restored, including blood vessel functioning and electrical activity in some neurons. While it's too soon to speculate on what this could mean for humans, the meaning of brain death and the future for recovery from brain injuries, it's possible that one day brain resuscitation could become commonplace.
Human-Pig GMO Also Exists
Researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, made history in 2017 by creating a human-pig hybrid, a task achieved by injecting days-old pig embryos with human pluripotent stem cells.15 Such cells, like embryonic stem cells, are able to divide indefinitely and become any type of cell in the body.
The human-pig embryos were then transferred into adult pigs and allowed to grow for up to four weeks, before they were "removed and analyzed."16 The study noted that more than 2,000 hybrid embryos were transferred into surrogate sows, but only 186 later-stage chimeric embryos survived the process, each with about one in 100,000 human cells.
The long-term goal of such research is to figure out if it's possible to grow human organs inside other species, like pigs. Human embryo development, drug development and disease processes could also be studied using chimeras.
Researchers have also genetically engineered rat embryos to not produce a pancreas (which controls blood sugar levels), then injected mouse stem cells into them, which resulted in the growth of pancreatic tissue. They were then able to treat diabetes by transplanting parts of the healthy organs into diseased mice.17
Aside from the glaring ethical considerations of creating animal-human hybrids, these types of experiments have been ineligible for public funding in the U.S., which is why the Salk Institute had to rely on private funding for the study.18 There's also the question of, if organs can one day be grown inside animals, can and should this — raising animals for the sole purpose of organ harvesting — be done, ethically speaking,
Gene-Edited Food Is Already on the Market
Genetic tinkering is becoming commonplace not only in the world of science but also in the food supply. In 2019, a gene-edited soybean oil created by biotech company Calyxt, was picked up by its first user — a Midwest company with both restaurant and foodservice locations, which is using it for frying as well as in dressings and sauces.19
Calyxt's soybean oil, Calyno, contains two inactivated genes, resulting in an oil with no trans fats, increased heart-healthy oleic acid and a longer shelf life — but with unknown effects on human health. Although they're genetically engineered, gene-edited foods are not marketed as GMOs, nor are they labeled as such.
In fact, because they contain no foreign genetic material, foods produced via gene-editing are not subject to regulation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — although an advisory board recommended gene-edited foods could not be labeled organic — or other regulatory agencies.
Gene-edited chickens also exist, although they haven't yet entered the food supply. For now, the best way to avoid gene-edited foods, if you so choose, is to purchase organic.
What Does the Future Hold?
Gene-editing and similar technologies often fall into the realm of research moving full-steam ahead before we've adequately stopped to consider whether we should move forward at all. In the case of adding human brain genes to monkeys, "yes, it's as scary as it sounds," news outlet Vox quipped, citing Barbara J. King, emerita professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary, who called the experiment "an ethical nightmare."20 Vox added:
"… [T]here are 'tens of millions of differences' between humans and monkeys. But [t]his transgenic study is definitionally aimed at eliminating a few of those differences. After how many eliminated differences does a monkey shade into a human being? There's no clear answer to that question."
As for the function being restored to dead pig brain cells, it adds even more questions than answers to current knowledge of the brain and what it means to be alive. Scientifically, the researchers noted:21
"These findings demonstrate that under appropriate conditions the isolated, intact large mammalian brain possesses an underappreciated capacity for restoration of microcirculation and molecular and cellular activity after a prolonged post-mortem interval."
Ultimately, such studies highlight how much we don't know, and the unexpected consequences that can occur when dabbling in genetics. We're only beginning to understand even the questions that need to be asked in order to proceed safely and ethically, but, as is often the case with technology, science is moving faster than the moral implications can be considered, much less understood.
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How to Make Fasting Easier, Safer and More Effective
In the podcast above, Chris Kresser — an acupuncturist, licensed integrative medicine clinician and co-director of the California Center for Functional Medicine — and I talk about KetoFasting, the program I developed and detail in my latest book, "KetoFast: A Step-By-Step Guide to Timing Your Ketogenic Meals," which launches today. Within a week or two the accompanying KetoFast cookbook will also be released.
My previous book, "Fat for Fuel," released May 16, 2017, became an instant nationwide No. 1 best seller, beating out the No. 2 best-selling book by a significant margin.1
However, while The Washington Post and some others accurately listed "Fat for Fuel" as No. 1 based on Nielsen ratings for that first week,2 The New York Times (NYT) — considered the pre-eminent list of best-selling books in the U.S. since 1931 — didn't even include it in their top 15.3
Such a blatant omission is highly unusual, so Hay House, my publisher for that book, reached out to find out why the NYT censored it. The NYT replied the book was "disqualified" because too many of the sales went through Amazon. This in and of itself is unusual, considering Amazon is a primary outlet for all books.
Based on what happened with "Fat for Fuel," I expect more of the same with "KetoFast." Still, the NYT was unable to prevent "Fat for Fuel" from becoming a best-seller and fueling a keto revolution that is now the hottest lifestyle trend around, and I doubt the NYT will be able to quell the success of KetoFasting either, even if they decide to repeat their censorship.
From 'Fat for Fuel' to 'KetoFast'
There's no doubt conventional, government-approved advice has utterly failed to help people manage their weight and prevent disease. We're facing overwhelming rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's, with future projections heralding more of the same. We need a radical U-turn, and the foundations for how to accomplish that are clearly spelled out in "Fat for Fuel."
This is why I recommend you read that book first, and implement the nutritional basics of a cyclical ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting before you move on to "KetoFast." You could look at the two books as two parts of a complete lifestyle program, with "KetoFast" picking up where "Fat for Fuel" left off.
The key to weight management and optimal health is to optimize your mitochondrial function — hence, the term metabolic mitochondrial therapy (MMT) used in "Fat for Fuel." In short, if your mitochondria are not functioning properly, none of your bodily systems will function properly, and in order for your mitochondria to work, having the metabolic flexibility to burn fat is essential.
"Fat for Fuel" explains the many metabolic advantages you gain once your body regains the ability to burn fat for fuel, and details how to do it. The initial phase of the MMT program — which ends once your body is able to effectively burn fat for fuel — can take anywhere from weeks to months or longer, depending on how metabolically damaged you are.
While much of the book centers around diet (raising the amount of healthy fat and decreasing net carbs is what pushes your body into burning fat for fuel), it also reviews a variety of other strategies to improve your mitochondrial function, such as cold thermogenesis, photobiology, detox, exercise, the dangers of iron overload and the pernicious influence of electromagnetic fields (EMF).
"KetoFast" is the next phase once you've successfully implemented the MMT program, as it now combines a cyclical ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting with cyclical partial fasting.
KetoFasting Will Amplify Benefits of My Basic MMT Program
The impetus behind "KetoFast" was two major realizations: First, that water-only fasting is a tremendously beneficial health intervention; and second, that while water-only fasting used to be an ideal strategy, the fact that in the 21st century we have increased toxic exposure that makes it potentially dangerous to do extended water fasts.
We're now surrounded by and exposed to some 80,000 chemicals in our environment, most of which are fat soluble, meaning they accumulate in your fat cells. Meanwhile, fasting effectively drives toxins out of fat cells, which can have devastating results if you're severely toxic.
What's more, since you're not eating, you're also not providing your body with the nutrients it needs to effectively neutralize and eliminate those released toxins. My answer to make fasting safer was to devise — based on the best scientific evidence I could find — a fasting program that mimics multiday water-only fasting, while supporting your detox pathways and minimizing the risks associated with toxicity.
The KetoFast protocol is also easier to comply with than multiday water fasting, and provides greater benefits because you're able to do it far more frequently than you could do multiday water fasting.
The caveat, again, is that you need to have done at least a month of daily intermittent fasting and achieved nutritional ketosis as laid out in "Fat for Fuel" before you move on to KetoFasting. Once you're metabolically flexible and can burn fat for fuel, the combination of cyclical nutritional ketosis and partial fasting can further amplify your weight loss and overall health and longevity.
Why Fast?
As mentioned in the featured interview, fasting has a wide range of health benefits, including radically improved sleep, which in turn is a crucial component of good health and longevity. When you're fasting, you'll often find you're sleeping much better, and your cognition typically improves thanks to the biological cleansing and regeneration that occurs throughout your body, including your brain.
In my view, one of the primary reasons for why you would want to fast is to accelerate autophagy. This is your body's innate cleanout process, in which damaged mitochondria, proteins and cellular components are digested and then recycled during the regeneration phase, which occurs during refeeding.
It's important to realize that many of the benefits of fasting actually occur when you start eating again, and this is why cycling in and out of fasting and feasting is so imperative. Half of the process occurs in the absence of food, while the other half occurs when food is reintroduced.
This is yet another reason why I don't recommend longer fasts, as this will prevent you from fasting often, hence limiting the number of cycles of regeneration you get.
Fasting also boosts your readiness score, which means following a fast, you're able to work out really hard. I do KetoFasting twice a week, and on the days following my KetoFast, that's when I do my strength training and load up on protein and carbs. I've found it's a really fabulous and nearly pain-free way to radically improve your metabolic health.
Other Benefits of Fasting
Fasting is also known to provide many other health benefits, including:4,5,6,7,8
Stem cell activation — Stem cells play an important role in health and longevity as they are instrumental in repairing and rejuvenating your cells and tissues. By upregulating autophagy and mitophagy (autophagy in your mitochondria) 9 and boosting stem cells you will lower your risk of most diseases, including cancer10 and neurodegeneration.11
Nutrient composition is important here, and in "KetoFast" I provide details on how to optimize autophagy and stem cell activation processes by eating certain foods (and avoiding others) at the right time.
Releasing ketones into your bloodstream, which help preserve brain function and protect against epileptic seizures, cognitive impairment12 and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which stimulates creation of new brain cells and triggers brain chemicals that protect against brain changes associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.13,14
Increasing growth hormone by as much as 1,300 percent in women and 2,000 percent in men,15 thereby promoting muscle development and vitality.
Lowering insulin and improving your insulin sensitivity; studies have shown intermittent fasting can both prevent and reverse Type 2 diabetes, which is rooted in insulin resistance.16,17,18,19
Increasing levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which helps your body break down fat to be used as fuel and benefits your metabolism.20,21,22
Boosting mitochondrial energy efficiency and biosynthesis.
Lowering oxidative stress and inflammation.23
Improving circulating glucose24 and lipid levels.
Reducing blood pressure.
Improving metabolic efficiency and body composition, modulating levels of dangerous visceral fat and significantly reducing body weight in obese individuals.
Reproducing some of the cardiovascular benefits associated with exercise.
Regenerating the pancreas25 and improve pancreatic function, reversing diabetes.
Improving gut health — While the exact mechanisms are still unclear, I believe fasting helps jump-start microbiome health by increasing bacterial diversity and repairing leaky gut. Overall, fasting facilitates healing of your gastrointestinal tract and enhances the integrity of your gut lining.
Protecting against cardiovascular disease.
Reducing low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol.
Improving immune function.26
Synchronizing your body's biological clocks.27
Eliminating sugar cravings as your body adapts to burning fat instead of sugar.
Increasing longevity — There are a number of mechanisms contributing to this effect. Normalizing insulin sensitivity is a major one, but fasting also inhibits the mTOR pathway, which plays an important part in driving the aging process.
Safety and Contraindications
For all its benefits, fasting — especially multiday water-only fasting — is not for everyone. As with other types of extended fasting, you should not do KetoFasting if you are:
Underweight
Pregnant
Breastfeeding
Have an eating disorder
This is a small minority of people, and for pregnant and breastfeeding women it's a temporary contraindication. For most others, fasting is likely to provide significant health benefits, and my KetoFast protocol raises not only your chances of fasting successfully but also improves safety, as it's designed to support detoxification.
Why I Don't Recommend Continuous Nutritional Ketosis
"Fat for Fuel" and "KetoFast" both stress the importance of a cyclical ketogenic diet. A common misconception is that because nutritional ketosis is so beneficial, it stands to reason that remaining in ketosis for the rest of your life would be the way to go. I disagree with this approach, having experienced the drawbacks of it firsthand.
For starters, continuous keto can start wreaking havoc with your hormonal system, specifically your thyroid. It's important to realize that nutritional ketosis is a catabolic process, meaning you're breaking things down. This is a good and necessary process, but you also need to build your body back up!
Many advertise the ketogenic diet as something you stay on forever, and I quickly learned that was a bad idea. After some months, you begin to lose muscle mass, for example, which is the complete opposite of what you're looking for, especially if you're older, since you will automatically lose muscle mass with age anyway.
Hence, I strongly recommend cycling in and out of ketosis once you've regained your metabolic flexibility and are able to effectively burn fat for fuel. In other words, you stay in ketosis only long enough to make sure you're burning fat, and then you move into a more balanced approach where you're adding in higher amounts of healthy carbs once or twice a week.
The Dark Side of Water-Only Fasting
I also do not recommend strict multiday water-only fasting, even though historically this has been a very successful and beneficial approach. The reason for my change in view is because our toxic exposures have dramatically increased, which makes fasting riskier now than it ever was historically.
As mentioned, fat-soluble toxins are stored in your fat cells, and when you fast and rapidly lose weight, those toxins are released, with potentially devastating effects.
Matters are made worse by the fact that many people have poorly functioning detoxification systems and simply aren't metabolically healthy enough to metabolize all those toxins. Phase 2 detox pathways in particular tend to be dysfunctional or impaired in many. Toxicity is typically the reason why people feel horrible when fasting. It's not an artifact of the fasting process in and of itself.
Another reason why I don't recommend multiday water fasting is because compliance is so poor. Naturally, if you cannot comply with the program, you cannot reap the benefits. Many would rather lose a foot than go without food for five to seven days straight. My KetoFasting protocol is a pragmatic approach designed to optimize compliance.
Lastly, when you're doing multiday water fasting, you're really limited in how many times a year you can do it. If you did it once a month, which would be rare, you'd still only cycle through the regeneration process just 12 times in a year. If you fast once a quarter, you're down to four times a year. You also have to refeed more cautiously after going without food for several days.
With KetoFasting you can cycle through the regeneration process anywhere from 52 to 104 times a year, and you can jump right into feasting, eating lots of protein and carbs the day you break your fast.
KetoFasting Defined
I do not think it is wise to jump into KetoFasting without doing the preliminary work detailed in "Fat for Fuel." You really need to be metabolically flexible and able to burn fat for fuel before you start KetoFasting. At bare minimum, you should not skip step No. 1 (below). That said, the following is a three-step summary of my KetoFast protocol.
1. Introduction — The first step is to compress your daily eating window to six to eight hours for at least four weeks, meaning you eat all of your calories for the day during those six to eight hours, and for the remaining 16 to 18 hours, you're fasting. Also, be sure to eat your last meal at least three hours before bedtime to avoid creating unnecessary free radicals.
I recommend testing your ketones to confirm that you are in ketosis (which means your body is burning fat), especially if you are heavy to start with, or diabetic, as it might take you longer to shift. Ketocoachx.com is the best blood ketone meter out there and only costs 70 cents per strip. It is a brand-new meter that became available at the end of April 2019.
2. KetoFast days — Once you've restored your metabolic flexibility to burn fat for fuel you can move into the second phase, which involves having a single 300 to 500-calorie meal, ideally breakfast, followed by a 24-hour, water-only fast, once or twice a week.
To determine how many calories you should have at this meal, first calculate your lean body mass by subtracting your percent body fat from 100. (So, if you have 20% body fat, you have 80% lean body mass.)
Multiply that percentage (in this case, 0.8) by your current total body weight to get your lean body mass in pounds. Next, multiply your lean body mass in pounds by 3.5. This is the number of calories you'll want to eat for that meal. The following is a general guide for the nutrient ratios you're looking for in this meal:
Carbs — Less than 10 grams of net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) so as not to replete your glycogen stores. Primarily, your carbs would then be nonstarchy vegetables, seeds or nuts.
Protein — Half of your personalized daily protein requirement, with a focus on plant based protein, not animal protein. If you're younger than 60, a general recommendation for your daily protein requirement would be 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass, or 0.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.
Let's say your daily protein requirement is 80 grams. For this meal, you'd cut that in half to 40 grams. The key here is not just lowering your overall protein intake, though; rather, it's restricting branched-chain amino acids (such as leucine, for example), found primarily in meat and dairy products.
The reason you want to restrict branched-chain amino acids at this meal is because they inhibit autophagy — essentially blocking the very cleanout process you're trying to activate through fasting. Aside from plant-based protein, an ideal form of protein to include in this meal is collagen and/or bone broth, which provide great support for your connective tissue without inhibiting autophagy. Chlorella is another excellent protein you can include.
Fat — The remainder of your calories comes from healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, MCT oil, butter, olive oil and raw nuts.
By eating just that one 300- to 500-calorie meal and then fasting for 24 hours, you essentially end up having eaten once in 42 hours. This will effectively allow your body to deplete the glycogen stores in your liver, which sends autophagy soaring.
On your KetoFast days, you also need to avoid any supplements you might normally take that will inhibit autophagy. Commonly used supplements that should be avoided for this reason include methylfolate, vitamin B12, exogenous ketones, colostrum and glutamine.
Supplements that support autophagy that you can take during your KetoFast include berberine, ECGC, pomegranate peel extract or powder and organic chamomile tea, as these activate autophagy and will support the process.
3. Refeed day — After completing your 42-hour KetoFast, it's time to feast. This is also the perfect time to do hardcore strength training and load up on animal protein such as grass fed organic steak and/or whey protein, as now you're in rebuilding mode, which includes muscle building.
You can also kick your carbs up to 100 or 150 grams. An ideal sequence for this day is to do your strength training in a fasted state, then have a big meal afterward. Now's also the best time to use your sauna (see below).
As for the number of meals on refeed day, I keep it consistent with my normal intermittent fasting schedule. I simply eat more at each meal. So, for example, instead of having two eggs on my salad, I'll have three on refeed day; instead of having vegan protein in my smoothie, I'll switch over to organic grass fed whey concentrate.
Tips and Tricks
In the featured interview, I also discuss tips and tricks to get you through some of the more common issues people complain about when fasting or going on a cyclical ketogenic diet. Here's a quick summary of some of the key points:
• Cravings — Many struggle with hunger when fasting, but one of the beautiful benefits of intermittent fasting is that once you're able to burn fat for fuel, hunger and carb cravings vanish, since at that point your body is able to access your fat stores and create energy out of your body fat.
This is one of the reasons why you'll want to do intermittent fasting for at least a month and make sure you're in nutritional ketosis before you start KetoFasting. When you are insulin resistant, your body is not able to access and convert body fat to energy in an efficient manner, hence carb cravings and hunger pangs are the norm among sugar-burners.
• Sauna — Aside from a cyclical ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting and cyclical partial fasting (KetoFasting), another key strategy that can help optimize your health span are sauna bathing and thermogenesis, or the cycling between hot and cold exposures.
I specifically recommend using an EMF-free near-infrared sauna for general health optimization but especially when KetoFasting to help with detoxification.
I recommend using your sauna daily but especially the morning after your KetoFast, as at this time your body will be releasing a significant amount of toxins. If you're strength training, consider taking a sauna directly after, and then break your fast with a high-protein meal that has plenty of branched chain amino acids and fresh fruit to stimulate mTOR.
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Weekly Health Quiz: Sunflower Seeds, Soil and Fasting
1 Which of the following has been shown to sequester the greatest amount of organic carbon in soil?
Organic farming methods
Biodynamic farming
Biodynamic sites have the greatest amount of organic carbon in the soil, followed closely by sites using organic principles. Either method is far superior to conventional farming, sequestering 12.8% and 9.4% more carbon per acre than conventionally farmed land respectively. Learn more.
Conventional farming methods
A combination approach: No-till combined with restricted use of synthetic fertilizers
2 Which of the following statements is factually correct?
Measles killed 110,000 American children in 2017
Measles is the most lethal infectious disease known to man
The last recorded measles-associated death in the U.S. occurred in 2015
According to World Health Organization data, measles killed 110,000 people globally in 2017. In the U.S., measles rarely leads to death. The last recorded measles-associated death in the U.S. occurred in 2015. Learn more.
Measles is a leading cause of death among children across the world
3 The following is an effective way to activate autophagy and stem cell regeneration, which is important for optimal health and longevity:
Cryotherapy
Losing weight by any means
High-intensity exercise
Fasting
Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration and autophagy — a natural process that clears out dysfunctional and diseased cell components that would otherwise compromise your health. Learn more.
4 Optimal breathing for health and psychological well-being involves:
Horizontal breathing and nose breathing
Most people breathe incorrectly and the ramifications for your health can be significant. Two of the most common errors are over breathing — breathing more than 14 breaths per minute — and breathing vertically rather than horizontally. Correct breathing is slow and relaxed and will cause your midsection to widen while not raising your shoulders or puffing out the upper part of your chest. Learn more.
Vertical breathing and mouth breathing
Mouth breathing and a breathing rate in excess of 14 breaths per minute
A breathing rate of six to 10 breaths per minute and vertical breathing
5 Sunflower seeds are ready for harvest when:
The flower head falls off
The flower head starts to droop and the seeds turn brown
Sunflower seeds are ready for harvest once they start turning brown. Dry them thoroughly before storing in an airtight container. Learn more.
The seeds start turning green
The flower head is fully opened
6 Which of the following is not linked to climate change?
Wildfires
Hurricanes
Plastic pollution
Extreme weather, including rising sea levels, intensified and more frequent wildfires, devastating flooding, stronger hurricanes and prolonged droughts are all linked to climate change. Learn more.
Flooding
7 The following can help support detoxification during fasting:
Autophagy-activating supplements
Autophagy-inhibiting supplements
Cryotherapy
Near-infrared sauna bathing
My KetoFast protocol supports your detox pathways and minimizes risks associated with the release of toxins that occur during fasting. To support detoxification during your fast, consider using a near-infrared sauna, which will help eliminate toxins through your sweat. Learn more.
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CBD Has Unique Ability to Cross Blood-Brain Barrier
The cannabis plant has over 400 chemicals and at least 60 different cannabinoids1 — chemical compounds the human body is uniquely equipped to respond to. Of the two primary chemicals, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), only THC has psychoactive properties.
THC is the compound in cannabis triggering a "high," whereas CBD has no psychoactive effects. Both compounds, and other phytochemicals found in medical marijuana plants, have a long list of beneficial effects on health.
Medical marijuana is a term used for the use of the whole, unprocessed plant or its chemicals to treat a medical condition.2,3 With the exception of four cannabis-containing or cannabis-related products for specific conditions with a prescription, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any "marketing application for cannabis for the treatment of any disease or condition."4 On the other hand, some states have gone ahead and approved it themselves for certain medical conditions.5
The number of states that have decriminalized, legalized or allowed medical marijuana sales continues to grow. In some states, cannabis is fully legal or illegal, but in others the laws are mixed, allowing medicinal use but not recreational.6
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,7 notable scientific study results led to the creation of two FDA-approved medications containing cannabinoid chemicals in pill form, but not the use of the whole plant. Recently scientists proved CBD can carry other chemicals across the blood brain barrier, opening up its medicinal potential even further.
The Blood-Brain Barrier Is Designed to Protect Your Brain
More than 100 years ago, scientists discovered not everything injected into the bloodstream would reach the brain or spinal cord.8 Through research, scientists discovered the blood-brain barrier is semi permeable; in other words, it allows some materials to cross into your neurological system, but prevents others.
The importance of the blood-brain barrier to the health of your neurological system cannot be overstated. One portion of the system is formed by endothelial cells lining the microvasculature, which feeds your brain. This protects it from circulating agents and substances capable of disturbing your neurological functioning.9
The endothelial tissue in other capillaries in your body have small spaces allowing substances to move between the inside and outside of the vessel. In the brain, these cells fit together so tightly that many substances cannot leave the bloodstream and enter the brain.10
Additionally, glial cells — astrocytes — form another layer around the blood vessels and are involved in a two-way communication affecting physiology and pathology.11 This barrier mechanism is vital for normal functioning and providing a stable internal environment. One compound known to normally pass the blood-brain barrier is CBD.
Pharmaceutical Industry Finds Way to Use CBD as a Trojan Horse
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the city of Troy.12 To gain access, the Greeks used a massive wooden horse constructed to hide a select force of men. It was presented as a gift, thereby allowing the Greek warriors to enter and destroy the city. Researchers believe CBD can act as a Trojan horse, helping move restricted chemicals across the blood-brain barrier.13
Researchers were interested in using CBD as a means to an end. They attached CBD, resembling endocannabinoids made by both mice and humans, to the outside of nanocapsules loaded with fluorescent molecules.
The fluorescence enabled the researchers to track the particles with the hope the experiment would mimic what occurs in the blood-brain barrier of humans. They demonstrated the CBD nanocarriers could transport fluorescent molecules across the blood-brain barrier in mice.14
When added in vitro to human cells mimicking the blood-brain barrier, the nanocarriers with CBD were more successful in passing through the cells than those without the CBD. Researchers also found when CBD nanocapsules were injected into healthy mice, 2.5 times more of them entered the animals' brains than nanocarriers of equal size lacking the CBD coating.
Cannabidiol — Nonpsychoactive Component Has Anti-Anxiety Effects
The ability of CBD to naturally move across the blood-brain barrier indicates there are endocannabinoid receptors in the brain, which your neurological system uses to maintain optimal health. One of the benefits of CBD on your neurological system is reducing anxiety.
A meta-analysis15 evaluated the potential for CBD as a treatment for anxiety-related disorders. They found preclinical evidence strongly supported it for the treatment for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A second large retrospective study16 looked at cases in psychiatric clinics involving the application of CBD for anxiety and sleep complaints. It too found the data supported the use of CBD for anxiety-related disorders.
In a small study17 involving 24 patients with generalized social anxiety disorder who, while diagnosed, had never been treated, half received CBD while the other half received a placebo. Another 12 healthy control subjects performed the test without receiving either medication or a placebo.
Each volunteer participated in a double-blind procedure. The researchers compared the effects of a simulation of public speaking on the 36 individuals, finding CBD pretreatment significantly affected cognitive impairment, anxiety and discomfort in speech performance.
The participants in the placebo group experienced higher anxiety, cognitive impairment and alert levels than the control group. No significant differences were observed between those taking CBD and the healthy control subjects who took nothing.18
These results piqued the interest of Dr. Esther Blessing, psychiatrist and researcher at New York University. She obtained funding from the National Institutes of Health, and along with collaborators are beginning a clinical trial to test if CBD helps those with PTSD and moderate or severe alcohol use disorder.19
The researchers plan to use pharmaceutical grade CBD or a placebo daily on 50 participants with the goal of evaluating alcohol intake in those who take CBD.
A second study20 now in Phase II is exploring whether CBD may help prevent relapse in opioid addicts. As explained by Blessing, CBD is different from cannabis. Although it's extracted from cannabis, it does not lead to altered perception or cognition.21 She commented:22
"Drugs can be non-psychoactive and still have an effect on the brain. CBD does have an effect on the brain, but it seems to affect the brain in possibly medicinal ways."
Anxiety Steals Time, Energy and Lives
Although it's normal to be concerned about aspects of your life, too much stress and worry may devastate your health. A rise in stress levels and anxiety may trigger physical, mental or emotion changes, an indicator of anxiety disorders.23 Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses in the U.S., affecting an estimated 40 million adults.
Those suffering are three to five times more likely to see their physician and six times more likely to be hospitalized. It's not uncommon for someone with anxiety to also suffer depression.24 Anxiety disorders carry a significant financial burden to individuals, families and communities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2030, the global annual cost of anxiety will reach $147 billion.25 Researchers in one study concluded:26
"The cost burden of depression, anxiety, and emotional disorders is among the greatest of any disease conditions in the workforce. It is worth considering methods for quantifying direct and indirect costs that use administrative data sources given their utility."
The cost of anxiety is measured in more than finances, as it takes an enormous emotional and physical toll. Long-term negative health effects may include digestive issues, insomnia, substance abuse disorders and depression,27 each of which come with a laundry list of physical symptoms, emotional disruption and financial burden.
Differences Between Recreational and Medicinal Use
The healing properties of medical cannabis come primarily from high levels of CBD and critical levels of other medicinal terpenes and flavonoids. However, THC, responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis, also has medicinal benefits.28,29 Growers are able to use selective breeding techniques to increase CBD and lower levels of THC for medicinal use.
While CBD has gained the most attention, CBD alone cannot fully support your body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). Cannabinoid receptors in the human body were discovered in the 1990s,30 which in turn led to the realization our body makes endogenous cannabinoids that influence these receptors.
It was also discovered the ECS orchestrates communication between other bodily systems, such as your respiratory, digestive, immune and cardiovascular systems. The ECS does this via receptors found in every organ, including your skin. The use of medicinal CBD is aimed at the health benefits derived from providing your ECS with sufficient support.
However, if you choose to use exogenous CBD, it's important to choose the right product as some do not meet the claims made on the label.31 Since CBD oil became a focus of popular holistic medicine almost overnight, the rapid innovations in the market have been impressive. However, while products quickly enter the market, effective control has not caught up yet.
Despite CBD being sold as a food supplement, it is often used for significant health problems. The WHO analyzed available scientific data and concluded CBD does not require drug scheduling. Nevertheless, CBD manufacturing may benefit from a preparation analysis to reduce contaminants and ensure the product in the bottle is what's on the label.32
Researchers believe the methodology to achieve this goal already exists and the approach would hold the producer accountable for quality and safety. Until a system is in place, if you live in a state that has legalized CBD, it is important you purchase any products from a trusted source.
Single Magic Bullet Is Not the Answer to Support Your Endocannabinoid System
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In this video clip from an interview with Carl Germano, board-certified nutritionist and phytocannabiniods expert, he discusses the need to move away from the single magic bullet idea of separating one nutritional compound from a plant and expecting miraculous results.
It's important in many cases to consume the whole plant. The cannabis plant contains at least 60 other cannabinoids and 400 other chemicals, and many of these other phytocannabinoids and terpenes are needed to fully support your ECS.
However, the vilification of cannabis continues to negatively impact the ability to use the compounds medicinally.33 CBD oil has demonstrated use in the treatment of pain,34 which represents a significant threat to the sale of opioids responsible for a large piece of the financial growth of Big Pharma in the past decade.35
Purdue Pharma went even further, trying to position the company as an "end-to-end provider" of opioids and the treatment for addiction.36 The cannabis plant also poses economic threats37 to the lumber, energy, food and other industries as the fiber may be used to make paper, biofuel, building materials, food products and oil, clothing, shoes and even jewelry.
Cannabinoids Necessary for Optimal Health
Low levels of endocannabinoids in your system result in ill health. As you age, your body becomes less efficient in creating endocannabinoids needed for optimal health. According to Germano, cannabinoids may be used as biological markers for specific conditions and illnesses.
Endocannabinoid deficiency has been identified in those with migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and neurological conditions, for example. Research has also discovered an intimate relationship between ECS and your omega-3 status, as omega-3 fat improves your cannabinoid receptors.
Other conditions associated with low levels include stress, anxiety, insomnia and eye health. For a long list of health benefits you'll receive from supporting your ECS system, see my previous article, "The Many Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis and Cannabidiol (CBD)."
How to Boost Your Natural Endocannabinoid Levels
In my previous article, "The Endocannabinoid System and the Important Role It Plays in Human Health," I discussed the importance of activating your ECS. There are several natural ways you may activate the system to improve your health without using external cannabinoids:
Avoid pesticides and phthalates — Start by avoiding chemicals blocking the receptivity of your endogenous system by reducing your exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides and phthalates. Find more information about phthalates in my previous article, "Phthalate Exposure Threatens Human Survival."
Optimize your omega-3 intake — There's an intimate relationship between your ECS and your omega-3 status. Omega-3 fats make your cannabinoid receptors more active, and are used as backbone structures to produce cannabinoids in your body.
Expose yourself to cold temperatures — In past articles I've written about some of the surprising benefits of extreme temperatures. One of those benefits is the regulation of endocannabinoid in white and brown adipose tissue.
Fasting — Intermittent fasting may improve your health using yet another mechanism in your body — by increasing your endocannabinoid levels, and regulating your ECS.
Caffeine — Regular caffeine consumption regulates and enhances the activation of cannabinoid receptors. Remember the added caffeine may also disrupt quality sleep, so it's important to forgo any caffeinated substances after 2 p.m.
Reduce stress — High levels of emotional stress have been shown to downregulate endocannabinoid levels in your body. High levels of cortisol also reduce binding to your endocannabinoid receptors. I recommend my previous article, "How Stress Affects Your Body, and Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Develop Greater Resilience," to help you find methods that work for you.
Exercise — Although exercise is an excellent stress reducer, research also finds the much talked about "runner's high" may be a function of the release of endocannabinoids in your brain and not just endorphins. If you are new to exercise, you'll find suggestions and links in my previous article, "Exercise to Improve Your Body and Your Brain."
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Are You Getting Enough Zinc?
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While you may think about it mainly during cold and flu season, zinc is an essential mineral found throughout your organs, tissues and bodily fluids. Moreover, after iron, zinc is the second most abundant trace mineral in your body. Because zinc plays a vital role in many biological processes, you may be surprised to learn that your body does not store zinc. Instead, it has to be consumed daily, either through the foods you eat or a high-quality supplement.
Zinc supports critical processes within your body such as blood clotting, cell division, immune function, thyroid health, smell, taste, vision and wound healing. Good dietary sources of zinc include dairy products, nuts, red meat and seafood. Although plant sources such as asparagus, beans, green peas and spinach contain zinc, it is more easily absorbed from meat and animal proteins.
If you are an alcoholic or vegetarian, are pregnant or lactating, or have a digestive disorder or sickle cell disease, you are more likely to have a zinc deficiency. Even if you consider yourself to be a healthy person, you may not be eating enough zinc-rich foods on a daily basis to achieve optimal levels of this essential nutrient.
Why Your Body Needs Zinc
Well beyond helping your body fight off a cold or the flu, zinc plays many other crucial roles within your body. In fact, there are more biological roles for zinc than for all the other trace elements put together. For example, your body contains 300 unique enzymes that require zinc to function normally. Furthermore, researchers estimate about 3,000 proteins out of the roughly 100,000 you have in your body consist predominantly of zinc. Your body needs zinc for:
Blood clotting and wound healing
Gene transcription (the process that allows your cells to read genetic instructions)
Sense of smell and taste
Blood sugar balance
Immune system support
Thyroid health
Cell division and growth
Mood
Vision
Zinc also protects your body against oxidative stress and helps with DNA repair. While some level of oxidative stress is a normal result of your body processes (such as breathing and digestion), many factors — ranging from air pollution to radiation and emotional stress to obesity — can cause an excess of free radicals in your body.1
An overabundance of free radicals is associated with oxidative stress. Oxidation is the same process responsible for turning apple flesh brown and rusting metal — it breaks things down. In humans, oxidation accelerates aging.
High levels of oxidative stress affect every organ and organ system in your body. Research suggests oxidative stress is directly linked to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, colitis, dementia, gastric cancer, gastritis and inflammatory bowel disease.2,3
If you are deficient in zinc, your body may be less able to repair genetic damage caused by oxidative stress. On the other hand, if your diet is rich in zinc and other antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C and E, your body will be able to fight back against free radicals.
A Closer Look at Zinc's Effect on Your Immunity, Mood and Thyroid
As mentioned above, zinc affects your immune system, mood and thyroid. Let's take a closer look at each area.4
• Immune system — If you have taken zinc lozenges at the first sign of a cold or to help shorten the duration of a cold, flu or infection, you already recognize zinc's role in strengthening your immune system. Zinc plays a vital role in activating your body's T cells, certain white blood cells tasked with destroying infected cells.
If you fall victim to frequent bacterial infections or colds, your body might be trying to tell you it needs more zinc. Given its immune-boosting properties, zinc supplements also can be useful to address bacterial issues such as acne, body odor and dandruff.
• Mood — If you suffer from depression, it is likely that your body has too little zinc. Researchers have observed low serum blood levels of zinc in depressed individuals, which suggests zinc deficiency may trigger chronically poor mood. Depression causes your hippocampus to shrink, and this is the part of your brain involved with emotion, memory and learning.
Because zinc has been shown to protect your hippocampus from the inflammation caused by emotional stress, it is considered to be an important factor in the treatment of depression. Furthermore, zinc can activate your body's production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a crucial metabolic agent needed to counteract brain inflammation and depression.
• Thyroid — Related to your thyroid health, zinc plays a role in making thyroid releasing hormone in your brain, which in turn signals your pituitary gland to make thyroid stimulating hormone. Low zinc is associated with low T3 and a reduced ability for your body to convert T4 to T3, an action also requiring sufficient stores of selenium.
When your zinc levels are low, you may experience many of the characteristic symptoms of low thyroid such as cold hands and feet, sluggish metabolism and thinning hair. Zinc also helps your thyroid hormone bind to the DNA receptors inside your cells. If you are lacking in zinc, your body can't effectively make use of thyroid hormone even if you have normal levels of it in your blood.
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Four Signs You May Be Zinc Deficient
Zinc deficiency is common in the developing world and at least 2 billion people are thought to be deficient. In addition, about 12 percent of the U.S. population, and as much as 40 percent of the elderly, are also at risk for zinc deficiency.5 Part of the deficit likely results from soil depletion due to conventional farming methods, as well as the use of toxic pesticides such as Roundup.
Beyond the soil concerns, many simply do not eat enough zinc-rich foods, and the mineral is often poorly absorbed. Compounding the problem is the reality that zinc levels are not always tested, and available testing methods are not always accurate. Before you pursue testing, perhaps the best way to determine if you may be deficient is to watch for these common signs your body may need more zinc:
Lack of appetite
Depression
Impaired sense of taste or smell
Frequent colds, flu or infections
"Zinc deficiencies have been somewhat under the radar because we just don't know that much about mechanisms that control its absorption, role or even how to test for it in people with any accuracy," said Emily Ho, Ph.D., principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, and international expert on the role of dietary zinc.6
Additional Signs of Zinc Deficiency That Apply to Children
In children, the presence of zinc deficiency may manifest itself somewhat differently than what is commonly observed in adults. According to Dr. Timothy Wilens, division chief for child and adolescent psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the main symptoms related to zinc insufficiency to look for in children are:
Excessive dandruff
Hangnails
Inflamed cuticles
Rashes
Three Common Tests Used to Help Identify Low Zinc
Beyond taking notice of any physical symptoms, the most common tests used to help identify zinc deficiencies are:
Blood test
Hair analysis
Oral taste test
Interestingly, the oral taste test involves you holding 10 milliliters of liquid zinc in your mouth for 10 seconds. Because liquid zinc has an intense taste, if your zinc levels are normal, you will probably not be able to tolerate the strong taste for very long. It will taste quite bitter. In fact, you may want to immediately expel the liquid from your mouth!
If you are deficient, however, you will likely be able to hold the zinc in your mouth without any difficulty because it will taste like water. This is so because the absence of sufficient zinc in your body has somewhat disabled your sense of smell and taste, which means you will not be affected by liquid zinc's intensity. In fact, by the ease with which it is tolerating the liquid zinc, your body is signaling you that it desperately needs this mineral.
Whatever method you choose to help diagnose a zinc deficiency, you will want to involve your doctor. Due to the critical role zinc plays within your body, you should approach any zinc-related diet and supplementation changes carefully. In my opinion, you will fare better with the guidance of an experienced medical professional.
An Imbalance of Zinc and Copper May Lead to Health Problems
Another reason to involve your doctor to help you optimize your zinc level relates to how zinc interacts with other minerals in your body. You may not realize your body has an intricate method of maintaining balance among trace minerals in your system. A few of those minerals are chromium, copper, iron and zinc. The proper balance among them is more readily achieved when you consume them in real food.
Dietary sources of minerals are more easily balanced by your body, whereas minerals acquired through supplements are harder for your body to manage. For example, it's important to keep an eye on your zinc-to-copper ratio because excess zinc may lead to a copper deficiency. This is because their absorption patterns in your gastrointestinal tract are similar.
For that reason, it is better to avoid taking supplemental zinc and copper at the same time because competition for absorption may lead to an increase in zinc and a reduction in copper. If you overdo it on zinc, you may have to deal with headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps. As such, you are better off getting your body's zinc needs met from real food.
Symptoms of and Causes for Copper Deficiency
Copper deficiency can be the result of malabsorption, malnutrition or from an excess of zinc in your system. According to researchers at Oregon State University,7 high intake of zinc may increase the creation of metallothionein, a cell protein in your intestines that binds to some metals and prevents absorption. Because metallothionein has a greater affinity for copper than zinc, high levels of metallothionein induced by excess zinc cause a decrease in copper absorption.
In contrast, excessive intake of copper has not been found to affect zinc levels. One of the more common symptoms of a copper insufficiency is anemia. As such, your body will not respond to an increase in iron, which is a traditional means of addressing anemia, but it will improve, however, when you supplement with copper.8
Copper deficiency may also lead to an abnormally low white blood cell count (neutropenia), which increases your potential for infection. In this instance, you may take a zinc supplement to alleviate your cold symptoms and, at the same time, unknowingly worsen your copper deficiency. Other abnormalities related to copper deficiency include osteoporosis, low infant birth weight and loss of skin pigmentation.
Could Zinc Help Manage the Symptoms of ADHD?
A number of studies9 have found children afflicted with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be zinc-deficient than other children. ADHD, which is characterized by lack of attention, impulsiveness and impaired mental focus, is thought to affect 3 to 6 percent of school-aged children in the U.S. While stimulant medications are often recommended for ADHD, zinc has been shown to contribute to improved behavior.
This is due to its regulatory effects on certain brain neurotransmitters, as well as fatty acids and melatonin. However, a supplement will only have an effect if your child is zinc deficient. This therapy will have very little, if any, effect on the ADHD symptoms of children who have normal zinc levels. As noted by the authors of a 2009 study published in the journal of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Croatia:10
"[For] ADHD children with zinc deficiency or low plasma zinc concentration, zinc dietary supplementation … may be of great benefit. A study of ADHD treatment with zinc sulfate as a supplement to methylphenidate (a stimulant drug) showed beneficial effects of zinc supplementation in the treatment of children with ADHD."
A 2015 study11 published in the Chinese Journal for Contemporary Pediatrics also indicated that zinc may be beneficial for children diagnosed with ADHD. The study authors said: "A total of 17 studies, including 2,177 children with ADHD and 2,900 normal children … showed that serum zinc levels in children with ADHD were lower than [the levels in] normal children. Serum zinc levels may be associated with susceptibility to ADHD in children."
Zinc From Real Food Is Your Healthiest Option
If you have symptoms of a zinc deficiency and your doctor recommends you use a supplement, ensure it is from a reputable company using best-practice quality assurance methods. Independent verification of the raw materials is vital to confirm its quality and ensure the product is free of lead and other heavy metals.
To increase its bioavailability, I recommend a supplement containing several zinc compounds, my favorites being gluconate, citrate and chelate, which is bound to an amino acid. Unless your health care provider instructs you otherwise, it would be best to limit your intake of zinc to 30 to 40 milligrams (mg) per day.
While it may be necessary from time to time, I do not believe isolating certain nutrients in supplement form can provide the same health benefits as you would receive by getting the nutrient from a whole food. As such, I recommend you try to meet your daily zinc requirements from real foods, and only use a zinc supplement when directed by your doctor. Below are some of the best food-based sources of zinc:12,13
Alaskan King crab
Kefir
Oysters
Almonds
Kidney beans
Pastured chicken
Cashews
Lamb
Pork chops
Cheddar or Swiss cheese
Liver
Pumpkin seeds
Chickpeas
Lobster
Spinach
Grass fed beef
Mushrooms
Tahini
Green peas
Oatmeal
Yogurt
While zinc is often added to breakfast cereals and other packaged fortified foods, I discourage consumption of them. Processed foods have very little nutrients and you will do far better by consuming the whole-food sources of zinc as noted above.
Tips to Help You Increase Zinc Intake if You Are a Vegetarian or Vegan
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you will face additional challenges in optimizing your zinc levels. This is mainly due to the reality that grain- and plant-based sources of zinc contain phytic acid. Phytate is a naturally occurring compound found in all plant foods like beans, grains, nuts and seeds. Because phytic acid binds to zinc, it reduces its bioavailability.
To increase your zinc absorption, I suggest you soak beans, grains, nuts and seeds at a temperature of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for approximately three hours before cooking them. Higher or lower temperatures seem to be ineffective, whereas 140F/60C appears to be the "sweet spot." This soaking method will slash the phytic acid content in half. You can reduce it further by continuing to soak the items until sprouts appear.
That said, be aware of the fact that many beans are high in lectins, which can have a very damaging effect on your health. Also, while grains are often a big part of vegetarian and vegan diets, the negative effects of gluten on your digestion and absorption should not be overlooked. If you choose to consume grains, I recommend you consume unleavened grains versus leavened ones to optimize the zinc content. Phytic acid is reduced through the leavening process.
Zinc: Recommended Dietary Allowance
When treating the common cold, MedlinePlus14 recommends you take one zinc gluconate or acetate lozenge, which provides 9 to 24 mg of elemental zinc, every two hours while you are awake. Dissolve the lozenge in your mouth and continue the treatment for as long as cold symptoms are present. Zinc acetate may be one of the best forms of zinc to use for this purpose.
Beyond treating cold symptoms, adequate zinc intake is vital for adults and children. Getting sufficient zinc may be even more important for children because even a mild deficiency can impede their growth and increase the risk of diarrhea, infection and respiratory disease. The recommended dietary allowance by age for zinc is:15,16
Gender / Age Recommended dietary allowance
Children (boys and girls) ages 1 to 8 years old
3 to 5 mg, increasing as the child gets older
Females ages 9 to 13
8 mg
Females ages 14 to 18
9 mg
Females ages 19 and older
8 mg
Females, pregnant and lactating
11 to 13 mg, depending on age
Males ages 9 to 13 years old
8 mg
Males ages 14 and older
11 mg
To give you an idea of how those recommended values can be met through your diet, the zinc content of some common food items is as follows:17
Beef, lean chuck roast, braised, 3 ounces — 7 mg
Alaskan King crab, cooked, 3 ounces — 6.5 mg
Ground beef, lean, 3 ounces — 5.3 mg
Lobster, cooked, 3 ounces — 3.4 mg
Pork loin, lean, cooked, 3 ounces — 2.9 mg
Wild rice, cooked, 1/2 cup — 2.2 mg
Green peas, cooked, 1 cup — 1.2 mg
Yogurt, plain, 8 ounces — 1.3 mg
Pecans, 1 ounce — 1.3 mg
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Sun Avoidance Is a Major Cause of Mortality
With the coming of spring and summer, you don't have to look very far to find "experts" insisting that if you plan to spend any time outdoors, you should limit your sun exposure as much as possible. Many doctors advise their patients to cover up or slather themselves with sunscreen.
The warnings aren't just for perpetual sun worshipers, but for people who are just going about their daily activities, such as walking to and from their cars, mowing the lawn or hanging their elbows out the window while driving.
With all the cautions about it being the leading cause of skin cancer, not to mention wrinkles and premature aging, you might think fair-skinned people from Sweden would avoid the sun like the plague. But scientists in Sweden conducted a study revealing that it's sun avoidance that's statistically more liable to kill people, not the other way around.
The study, published in Journal of Internal Medicine,1 asserts that women, specifically, who make it a habit to expose themselves to sunlight for a limited amount of time per day have a lower mortality rate than those who avoid it.
A caveat is in order, however: Anyone who gets too much sun has a higher risk of developing skin problems, including cancer. Getting a serious sunburn is as unwise as it ever was, but the fact is, you need daily sun exposure to stay healthy.
To reflect this, scientists have recently asked public health entities to do an "about face" on their previous (and erroneous) stance that sun exposure is unhealthy and, further, to emphasize that moderate but consistent amounts of sun are healthy.
'D' Isn't Really a Vitamin; They Gave It the Wrong Name
If you ever wondered why other vitamins are derived from the foods you eat, but what you know as vitamin D comes from the sun, you were on the right track. According to the Endocrine Society's Hormone Health Network, the "vitamin D" designation is a misnomer:
"This often-misunderstood 'vitamin' is not a vitamin — it is a prohormone. Prohormones are substances that the body converts to a hormone. In fact, unlike other vitamins, only about 10 percent of the vitamin D the body needs comes from food (such as dairy products and oily fish), and the rest the body makes for itself."2
Your body makes vitamin D in a chemical reaction when sunlight hits your skin. It works by binding to a protein called the vitamin D receptor, which is present in nearly every cell and affects many different body processes. It helps your body absorb calcium, which in turn enables your bones to gain strength by "mineralizing" them.
Research indicates that the best way to raise your vitamin D level is not through supplementation, but through sun exposure. It's crucial for the public to understand that the latest science shows that the real risk is avoiding the sun. But perhaps understanding the problems associated with low vitamin D is a more effective way of communicating how important getting optimal sun exposure is. The top five signs are:
Constant aches and pains, which are frequently misdiagnosed
Frequent illnesses and infections due to a low immune system
Neurological symptoms from headaches to cognitive impairment
Fatigue, daytime sleepiness and low back pain
Sweaty head, often seen in infants, but can occur at any age
In 2018, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health3 noted that the risk of heart problems and cancer aren't the only potential problems. Lack of sun exposure is also linked specific cancers, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autism, Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration.
Contrary to the present narrative, ultraviolet (UV) light is the primary source of vitamin D, as well as other compounds crucial for your health. The authors concluded that "non-burning UV exposure is a health benefit and — in moderation — should be recommended as such."4
The Risk Factor for Sun Exposure
Researchers wanted to explore the risk factor for all-cause mortality by comparing women, depending on the differences in their sun exposure as a 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort.5
Recruited between 1990 and 1992, 29,518 Swedish-born women between the ages of 25 and 64 years of age and with no history of cancer supplied detailed information regarding their sun exposure habits, as well as "potential confounders" such as marital status, education level, alcohol consumption, disposable income and number of births.
In 2000, physical exercise and individual body mass index (BMI) were added to the questionnaire. However, there may be a link between BMI and vitamin D levels, as one study noted that a higher BMI leads to lower vitamin D levels.6
People with a high BMI also don't get the same increase in vitamin D levels by UV radiation as lean subjects do.7 Four questions supplied the basis for the study, with options for frequency, including "never":
How often do you sunbathe during the summertime?
Do you sunbathe during the winter, such as on vacation to the mountains?
Do you use tanning beds?
Do you go abroad on vacation to swim and sunbathe?
Which Is Worse — Avoiding Sunlight or Vitamin D Deficiency?
Scientists and members of the health community call it an ongoing debate, the question of whether avoiding sunlight is worse for you than having a vitamin D deficiency. According to the featured study, they looked at two reviews in regard to the importance and impact of vitamin D, and they came to polar opposite conclusions.
One review asserted that the "highly convincing evidence of a clear role of vitamin D does not exist for any outcome,"8 while the second review showed the risk of death was comparable to the risks expected by people who were smokers.9
While studies on sun exposure are limited, a 2014 study in the Journal of Internal Medicine reported, "The mortality rate amongst avoiders of sun exposure was approximately twofold higher compared with the highest sun exposure group."10
For every skin cancer death in northern Europe, 60 to 100 people die from stroke or heart disease related to high blood pressure, which is strongly associated with vitamin D deficiency, and a lack of sun exposure in particular.11 Further, a 2016 study observed:
"Epidemiological and observational data thus suggests that sunlight exposure can reduce all-cause mortality, and has particular benefits on hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These benefits are at the cost of increasing the risk of skin cancer incidence, although the overall benefits outweigh the risks as demonstrated by dose-dependent reductions in all-cause mortality with increased sun exposure."12
How Does Lack of Sunlight Cause Cardiovascular Disease and/or Cancer?
The scientists noted that what causes the higher incidence of death among women who avoid sunlight — a relatively small subgroup of 5.8 percent — is unknown. They classified "mortality" into three categories: cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and noncancer/non‐CVD for the purpose of showing how sun exposure is related.
Interestingly, the researchers noted the women's smoking habits, but also created a "dummy variable" called comorbidity to measure another condition to identify whether the women had been treated with specific diabetes medication (which can lower vitamin D levels) or anticoagulant drugs for CVD for more than one month. According to the study:
"Women with active sun exposure habits were mainly at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and noncancer/non‐CVD death as compared to those who avoided sun exposure. As a result of their increased survival, the relative contribution of cancer death increased in these women.
Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6–2.1 years."13
It's important to note that exposure to sunlight also produces a number of other health benefits that are unrelated to vitamin D production. For instance, exposure to UV light increases T cell activity — white blood cells involved in immune function and fighting infections.14
The Relationship Between Sun Exposure and Skin Cancer
The researchers also noted that most studies analyzing the relationship between extreme sun exposure and skin cancer show an increased incidence, so it's hard to examine the impacts of sun exposure without considering skin cancer, which is typically divided into three groups:
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
Cutaneous melanoma MM
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are generally grouped together and referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) because of their similarity and because both are considered less threatening (nonfatal).
One study shows that squamous cell carcinoma usually relates to cumulative exposure to UV light, while UV light is the main risk factor of cutaneous melanoma due to excess exposure to sunlight and/or tanning beds. In addition, "Incidence of MM in Sweden has doubled during the last 15 years, whilst the mortality rate has been constant since (the) 1980s."15
Putting Sunscreen on Your Kids Is Safe, Right?
For several decades, the chemical industry has been providing sunscreens that can be "safely" used by both adults and children, but are they really safe? Multiple studies indicate that hazardous ingredients exist in sunscreen and can cause a number of serious and potentially life-altering conditions.
Not only are people encouraged to use sunscreen whenever they go out, doctors also urge parents to use it on their children, which millions do as a matter of course, and to keep applying it throughout the day while they're swimming, golfing or visiting amusement parks.
As of late 2018, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's list of chemicals used in sunscreens16 manufactured as "drugs for human use" still contain numerous hazardous active ingredients, including as much as 6% oxybenzone, linked to degraded sperm quality in men17 and endometriosis in women.18
But that's not all. One study contends that oxybenzone may also cause Hirschsprung's disease, a condition that "affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool. The condition is present at birth (congenital) as a result of missing nerve cells in the muscles of the baby's colon."19
"Researchers found that pregnant women with medium to high levels of oxybenzone in their urine had a higher chance of giving birth to a baby with Hirschsprung's Disease. Later testing of the human cell lines demonstrated that very low levels of oxybenzone have the ability to disrupt cell migration in a similar fashion as Hirschsprung's Disease.
The amount of oxybenzone to do this disruption would be easily found in the body after normal sunscreen use. This confirms that oxybenzone could very well be the hidden link behind this disease that has impacted so many lives in the United States."20
Oxybenzone was referred to as an "ecologically threatening chemical" after it was found, along with octinoxate (up to 7.5% in some sunscreens21), another chemical, to damage coral reefs in places like Hawaii in amounts as small as the equivalent of one drop in 6.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools."22 Hawaii banned its use in 2018.23
In lieu of sunscreen, limit your initial sun exposure to just a few minutes and slowly work your way up. The more tanned your skin gets, the longer you can stay in the sun without burning. In addition, the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin can be used both internally and topically to protect your skin from the sun. Whenever possible, wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin and eyes.
The bottom line is that if avoiding sun exposure puts your health at similar risk as smoking does, it's time to make a change. There's ample evidence to indicate that "catching some rays," as well as avoiding chemical concoctions to block sunlight, is not just good for you; it's crucial for maintaining — or regaining — your health.
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Chai Tea Muffins Recipe
Recipe by Naturally Savvy
Teas are well-loved all over the world for their delicious flavors, fragrant aroma and health benefits. Chai tea possesses all of these qualities. Its origins can be traced to India, , but it has become popular around the world, with cafes and restaurants offering various chai beverages and companies producing premade tea bags and concentrates.
Chai tea tastes marvelous on its own, but it also pairs well with custards and baked goods. You can also incorporate it into a snack, just like in this recipe from Naturally Savvy. These muffins are infused with the goodness of chai and can be eaten as a tasty snack or a filling breakfast. If you’re looking for another way to consume chai or simply want to enjoy its flavor in a different form, try making these muffins and share them with your coworkers or friends.
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
2 spiced chai tea bags
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 organic cage-free eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup equivalent of monk fruit sweetener
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Procedure:
In a medium sauce pot bring coconut milk to a simmer. Add tea bags and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and steep for 15-plus minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Strain the coconut milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
Put all the dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine the ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix until well-combined.
Divide the batter into a lined muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins have set and a toothpick comes out clean.
What Are the Health Benefits of Chai?
The word “chai” translates to “tea” in Hindi, so chai tea actually translates to “tea tea.” You can simply call this beverage “chai” or “masala chai,” as it’s known in India.
Chai is made by combining black tea with milk and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves, although you can find varieties containing pepper, coriander, nutmeg and fennel. Some recipes add sugar, but I advise that you avoid using it or instead add healthier sweeteners like raw honey, monk fruit (Luo Han) or stevia. ,
Black tea, which makes up the bulk of this drink, possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities that may help reduce risk for coronary heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and assist in preventing weight gain. If you want to know more about how black tea is made and what it can do for your health, check out “Black Tea Is Great for Your Gut.”
The spices in this tea blend also increase the drink’s nutritional value, and various research has linked them to different health-boosting abilities:
Cinnamon may deliver antibacterial capabilities, help improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels, , lower risk for insulin resistance and decrease fasting blood sugar levels. ,
Ginger, a well-loved spice, is known for its antinausea effects.
Cardamom may provide antioxidant and antibacterial abilities.
Cloves and black pepper both possess antibacterial properties, according to research. , ,
If you want to purchase black tea so you can make chai from scratch, only buy from a reputable seller or company that will provide you with information regarding the tea’s processing and packaging methods. Don’t be misled by companies placing “quality” seals on their teas. Unfortunately, this could just be a front to cover up illegal and inhumane practices involved in tea production. For more on this topic, read my article, “The Dark Side of the Global Tea Industry.”
A Note if You Need to Lessen Your Grain or Lectin Intake
Take note that the recipe above uses grain-based flours. While I believe grains can be part of a healthy diet, they must not be consumed in excess or they may trigger health-damaging issues. As much as possible, lessen your net carb intake below 15 to 20 grams daily until you have gained (or even regained) the ability to undergo ketosis or burn fat as your primary fuel. If this amount still isn’t enough for you to be in a state of ketosis, you may want to entirely avoid grain consumption, chai muffins included.
Another reason to be careful about consuming too many grains would be their lectin content. Lectins are a plant protein present in various foods that may provide some benefits, albeit in very small quantities.
However, most lectins act as “antinutrients” (especially in large amounts) since they can resist digestion, negatively affect the balance of your gut bacteria and cause problems within your gut microbiome. Lectins are abundant in wheat and other seeds belonging to the grass family like barley, corn, millet, oats and rye. In particular, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), found in wheat and in the other mentioned seeds, is considered one of the most detrimental lectins.
If you have an autoimmune or inflammatory condition, exercise caution and be careful about consuming high amounts of lectin-rich foods like grains, beans, legumes and nightshade vegetables. Read my “Limit the Lectins” article to know more about what lectins are and how you can prevent some of the adverse effects that have been linked to them.
About Naturally Savvy
Founded by two holistic nutritionists and a trusted expert on healthy living, Naturally Savvy’s main focus is to make sure its readers eat organic and whole foods, while learning how to integrate nutrition into their daily lives. The website shares the latest news on heathy living, lessons about the harmful ingredients lurking in various food items available today and other tips to make you and your family live a happy and healthy life.
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What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Too Much Alcohol?
Table of Contents
What Is Alcohol Poisoning?
6 Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol Poisoning Risk Factors
Blood Alcohol Content: How Much Is Too Much?
How Much Alcohol Is in Your Drink?
Possible Complications of Alcohol Poisoning
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol in Women
Dos and Don'ts for Someone Suspected With Alcohol Poisoning
How to Prevent Alcohol Poisoning
Some people believe that an occasional glass of red wine can benefit your health. Regardless of the merits of this view, too much red wine is unhealthy.
Alcohol can impair decision-making abilities and motor skills. It is frequently a factor in vehicular accidents, violent behaviors, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.1,2 Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol poisoning too, which negatively impacts your health and may even cost you your life if it's not properly addressed.3
In the United States alone, there are approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost reported yearly from 2006 to 2010 due to alcohol poisoning, taking off an average of 30 years on the lives of those who died.4
What Is Alcohol Poisoning?
Alcohol poisoning impairs the body and eventually shuts down the areas of the brain that control basic life-support functions like breathing, heart rate and temperature control.5 You become more susceptible to alcohol poisoning when you:6
• Binge drink — Consuming four or more alcoholic beverages in a single occasion for women or more than five alcoholic drinks for men.
• Drink heavily — Consuming eight or more alcoholic beverages per week for women or more than 15 alcoholic beverages for men.
• Drink during pregnancy — No amount of alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy due to risks of passing alcohol toxicity through the placenta to your unborn child, which can cause severe damages at any stage of pregnancy.
• Drink under the age of 21 — Underage drinkers are more vulnerable to alcohol poisoning, as studies have shown that they typically consume about five drinks in a single occasion.
6 Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol poisoning comes with very serious health penalties, which is why it's very important to be well-informed about the symptoms. Below are some of the most common signs of alcohol poisoning:7
• Loss of coordination
• Cold, clammy hands and bluish skin due to hypothermia
• Vomiting repeatedly and/or uncontrollably
• Irregular or slow breathing (less than eight breaths per minute or more than 10 seconds between breaths)
• Seizures
• Confusion, unconsciousness, stupor (conscious but unresponsive) and sometimes coma
If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, seek immediate medical attention.
Alcohol Poisoning Risk Factors
Generally, women are more vulnerable to alcohol poisoning, and feel the effects of alcohol faster than men of the same size. They're also more predisposed to suffer from long-term alcohol-induced damage in the body. This is due to several physiological reasons, such as:8
• Poor ability to dilute alcohol due to lower body water percentage. The average female only has 52 percent water in her body while the average male has 61 percent.
• Poor ability to metabolize alcohol because they have less dehydrogenase, a liver enzyme designed to break down alcohol in the body, than men.
• Premenstrual hormone changes tend to make women get intoxicated more rapidly during the days before their period. Birth control pills and other estrogen-containing medications, on the other hand, slow down the excretion of alcohol from the body.
This does not mean that men are completely safe from the dangers of alcohol poisoning. Below are a number of other factors that affect your body's response to alcohol, regardless if you're male or female:9
• Food — The peak blood alcohol concentration level can be three times higher in people who drink with an empty stomach than in those who had a decent meal before drinking. Food plays a significant role in alcohol absorption in the body because it dilutes the alcohol while slowing down the emptying of the stomach into the small intestine where alcohol is absorbed.
• Asian ethnicity — Approximately 50 percent of Asians have trouble metabolizing alcohol due to a missing liver enzyme needed to process the substance.
• Existing health conditions — People with diabetes should be wary of alcohol because it can cause a sudden surge or a dangerous drop in their blood sugar levels. Drinking alcohol may also prevent diabetes prescription drugs from working properly.
• Prescription drugs — Medications can potentially dull the effects of alcohol, which in turn causes you to drink more than what your body can truly handle.
How much water you drink, how often you drink alcohol, your age and your family history are potential risk factors as well.
Blood Alcohol Content: How Much Is Too Much?
Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration, refers to the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream. It is expressed as the weight of ethanol measured in grams in every 100 milliliters of blood or 210 liters of breath. BAC can be measured through either a breathalyzer test, a blood test or a urine test.10
For example, a BAC of 0.10 means that 0.10 percent (one-tenth of one percent) of your blood, by volume, is alcohol. All states except for Utah have now set .08 percent BAC as the legal limit for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). For commercial drivers, a BAC of .04 percent can result in a DUI conviction nationwide. For those under age 21, there is a zero tolerance limit ― any amount of alcohol is grounds for a DUI arrest.11,12
To calculate your current blood alcohol content, there are free online sites and apps you can try like BloodAlcoholCalculator.org and iDrinkSmarter. BAC results may vary depending on several variables, which include your gender, personal alcohol tolerance, body weight and body fat percentage.13
How Much Alcohol Is in Your Drink?
As far as the 2015 to 2020 U.S. Standard Dietary Guidelines for Americans is concerned, moderate drinking is having no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men.14 A standard drink contains 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol, which is usually found in:15
• 12 ounces of beer (five percent alcohol)
• 8 ounces of malt liquor (seven percent alcohol)
• 5 ounces of wine (12 percent alcohol)
• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor like gin, rum, vodka and whiskey (40 percent alcohol)
Various brands and types of alcoholic beverages come with different alcohol content levels. To get an idea of how much alcohol your favorite drink contains, check out the chart below:16
TYPE OF DRINK AVERAGE ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE BY VOLUME
Low-alcohol beer, lager and cider
2 percent
Regular beer, lager and cider
4 to 6 percent
Alcopops
5 percent
Super-strength beer, lager and cider
9 percent
Wine and champagne
10 to 14 percent
Fortified wine (sherry and port)
17.5 to 20 percent
Spirits (gin, rum, vodka and whiskey)
38 to 40 percent
Shots (tequila and sambuca)
38 to 40 percent
As a rule of thumb, darker liquors usually have higher alcohol content, whereas sweeter variants have less.17 Hence, darker and bitter beers have higher alcohol content. The same holds true for red wines compared to white wines and sweet wines, except for chardonnay. Meanwhile, all clear liquors have 40 percent alcohol content except for grain alcohol.18
Possible Complications of Alcohol Poisoning
If left untreated, a person suffering from alcohol poisoning can:19
• Choke on their own vomit
• Be severely dehydrated, which can cause seizures, permanent brain damage and even death
• Have slow and irregular breathing, which can eventually stop
• Have irregular heartbeats, which can eventually stop
• Develop hypothermia
• Develop hypoglycemia (extremely low blood sugar), which can lead to seizures
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol in Women
Because a woman's body has less tolerance for alcohol compared to men, it's more susceptible to the damaging effects of alcohol poisoning. Numerous studies have linked these health consequences to excessive drinking in women, which include:
• Disrupted menstrual cycle20
• Increased risk of infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth and premature delivery21
• Higher risk of liver cirrhosis and other alcohol-related liver diseases compared to men22
• Memory loss and brain shrinkage23
• Increased risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon and breast cancer24
Alcohol is also a common risk factor in many cases of sexual assault, particularly among young women. About 1 in 20 college women are sexually assaulted each year, and research suggests that there is a higher likelihood of rape or sexual assault when both the victim and the attacker are under the influence of alcohol before the incident.25,26
Dos and Don'ts for Someone Suspected With Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is not something that will pass and go away the following day. If you believe that someone you know could be suffering from alcohol poisoning, here are some things you should and shouldn't do to keep them safe while waiting for help:27
Do Don't
Make sure they remain conscious.
Tell them to sleep it off — The blood alcohol content can continue to rise even when they're not drinking.
Keep them warm.
Give them coffee — This will further dehydrate the person.
Monitor their symptoms.
Instruct them to walk around — This may only cause falls and bumps, which may result in serious injuries, given the brain's unfit condition.
Give them water to help keep them hydrated.
Ask them to take a cold shower — Since alcohol already lowers the body temperature, taking a cold shower could make the person feel colder than they already feel, potentially causing hypothermia.
Stay with them and never leave them alone.
Ensure they lie on their side so they won't choke on their own vomit.
Lastly, don't wait for all the symptoms of alcohol poisoning to manifest, and don't hesitate to call for emergency medical help immediately. Remember: BAC levels can rise rapidly, and time is of the essence in this situation. Being a minute too late could mean irreversible damage or even death.
How to Prevent Alcohol Poisoning
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know how you can keep yourself or your friends from suffering from alcohol poisoning. The first and probably the most important step that you can take is to practice self-control. Avoid and discourage your friends from participating in any alcohol drinking challenge, which is a surefire way to get alcohol poisoning.
However, if you really must have a few drinks, I personally recommend taking any of these natural protocols beforehand to pretox your body:
• N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) — Taking NAC before you drink alcohol may help lessen alcohol's toxic effects. NAC helps increase glutathione levels and reduce acetaldehyde toxicity, which causes many hangover symptoms.28
• Thiamine — Alcohol depletes essential B vitamins, which may help eliminate alcohol from the body. NAC is thought to work even better when combined with thiamine, also known as vitamin B1.29
• Milk thistle — Milk thistle contains silymarin and silybin, antioxidants that are known to help protect the liver from toxins, including the effects of alcohol. Not only has silymarin been found to help increase glutathione, but it may also help regenerate liver cells.30
• Vitamin C — Alcohol may deplete your body of vitamin C, which is important for reducing alcohol-induced oxidative stress in your liver. Make sure you're getting adequate amounts of vitamin C, either through supplements or through organic fruits and vegetables, before taking any alcoholic beverage.31
• Magnesium — This is another nutrient depleted by alcohol, and it's one that many people are already deficient in. Magnesium has anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce hangover symptoms. If you don't eat a lot of magnesium-rich foods, taking a magnesium supplement before an evening involving drinking may be helpful.32
These pretox measures are imperative for supplying your body with the vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients to help protect your liver and assist in the breakdown and removal of alcohol from your system. Other practical measures that may help include:33,34
• Staying hydrated — Drink a glass of water along with each alcoholic beverage to help prevent dehydration. At bedtime, drink another large glass of water or two to help stave off hangover symptoms in the morning.
• Eating before and during drinking — If your stomach is empty, it will speed up the alcohol's rate of absorption into your body. It may also cause severe stomach irritation. Make it a point to eat a meal before you drink alcohol and nibble on filling snacks like organic cheese while you drink. At the very least, try this old piece of wisdom from the Mediterranean region: Take a spoonful of olive oil before drinking alcohol to help prevent a hangover.
• Replenishing electrolytes — Try drinking coconut water before you go to bed to help reduce hangover symptoms in the morning.
• Sticking with clear alcohol — Generally, clear liquors like vodka, gin or white wine contain fewer congeners than darker varieties like brandy or whiskey.
• Stopping once you feel buzzed — When you feel buzzed, it's a sign that your body's detoxification pathways are becoming overwhelmed. Take a break from drinking or quit for the day to allow your body to metabolize the alcohol effectively.
In addition, I also advise against drinking when you're feeling down, or worse, depressed, as this can only lead to unconsciousness and uncontrolled alcohol consumption. Note that alcohol can actually alter your brain chemistry and lower the levels of serotonin, a mood-regulating chemical in your brain, increasing your anxiety and stress instead of reducing it.35
Rather than falling into the vicious cycle of alcohol abuse, I recommend addressing your emotional health as soon as possible. Try the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which is one of the most effective energy psychology tools for me.
Health Questions Directory
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KetoFast is a #1 Best Seller — Dr. Mercola Answers Your KetoFast Questions
youtube
In the video above I answer more of your questions about my latest book, "KetoFast: A Step-By-Step Guide to Timing Your Ketogenic Meals." I've published two other Q&A sessions so far — there have just been so many fantastic questions about "KetoFast" and I want to try to answer as many of them as I can.
In "KetoFast," I lay out a nutritional lifestyle plan that can help you lose unwanted weight, rejuvenate your health and help you prevent and even reverse disease. Written in straight-forward language, I've removed the guesswork so you'll know exactly what to do and when.
Why KetoFast?
In recent years, popularity of the ketogenic diet has skyrocketed, and for good reason. It works, and it works for many different things, be it weight loss or disease prevention. The importance of fasting has also become more clearly evident. I used to believe that multiday, water-only fasting was one of the most effective health-boosting strategies I'd ever come across.
Research1,2,3 published in 2017 confirmed fasting can effectively reverse Type 2 diabetes in a relatively short amount of time. In this trial, Type 2 diabetics were placed on a severely restricted calorie diet where they ate just 600 calories a day for eight weeks.
By the end of their fast, all were disease-free and three months later, having returned to their regular diet, seven of the 11 participants were still disease-free. Fasting has also been shown to trigger the regeneration of the pancreas in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics4,5 — a testament to the regenerative power unleashed in your body when fasting.
I discovered a problem, though. While people have fasted safely for centuries, modern man is deluged with pervasive exposure to tens of thousands of chemicals. They're in our food, air, water, household products, furnishings and personal care products.
Most of these toxins are fat-soluble, which means they accumulate in your fat stores, and when you start to lose fat, these toxins are liberated. If, like most people, you have impaired Phase II detoxification pathways, these toxins will not be properly metabolized and eliminated from your body.
The take-home message is that while fasting is an excellent strategy to improve your health, it could be risky if you're severely toxic — and many of us are. The KetoFast plan was developed to provide a solution to this widespread problem to allow as many people as possible to benefit. The KetoFasting protocol is also easier to adhere to than, say, a five-day, water-only fast.
As the name "KetoFast" implies, this plan includes both a cyclical ketogenic diet and partial fasting which, when properly combined, accelerate autophagy, improve mitochondrial health and trigger the regeneration of stem cells — all of which are crucial for maintaining good health and preventing disease.
Where KetoFasting is different from other fasting plans is in its focus on supporting your body's ability to detoxify the toxic chemicals that are liberated in the process.
Why Accelerating Your Self-Repair Mechanism Is so Important
Autophagy is a natural process in which dysfunctional and damaged cellular components are digested and cleared out, and their constituent elements are used to rebuild new parts for your cells. Otherwise these damaged structures would compromise your health by clogging your system and increasing silent inflammation.
The other part of the equation, however, is the regeneration part, which occurs when you break your fast and start eating again. This is really where the metabolic magic of fasting occurs. The key is to cycle through the autophagy and rebuilding phases on a regular basis, and one of the best ways to do that is to alternate between feast and famine cycles once you are metabolically flexible.
Improving Your Mitochondrial Function Is Foundational for Health and Disease Prevention
As mentioned, KetoFasting will help optimize your mitochondrial health, and this is another crucial factor for disease prevention and longevity. If your mitochondria are not functioning well, nothing else will either.
In the simplest terms, mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells, producing about 90 percent of the energy being generated in your body. Everything that happens in your body — every muscle contraction, biochemical cascade, cellular regeneration, detoxification and so on — requires energy.
If all your mitochondria were to fail at the same time, you'd die instantly. Conversely, the more mitochondria you have and the more efficient they are, the better your health will be and the more resilient you'll be against disease.
Mitochondria also have other important functions. For example, they act as the coordinator for apoptosis, a process that ensures the death of malfunctioning cells that might turn into tumors lest they be cleaned out.
As previously discussed in many articles, cancer really should be viewed as a mitochondrial disease, as mitochondrial dysfunction is what triggers the cancer process. Genetic mutations, long thought to be the culprit in cancer, are actually a secondary, downstream effect of dysfunctional cell respiration.
Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D., a professor of biology at Boston College, is a leading expert and researcher in the field of cancer metabolism and I've previously interviewed him on the application of nutritional ketosis for cancer.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is also at the heart of most other serious ailments, including Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, which is why a cyclical ketogenic diet is such a powerful health-promoting strategy.
Being an Efficient Fat Burner Minimizes Mitochondrial Damage
One of the reasons why a cyclical ketogenic diet is so beneficial for health is because it allows your body to efficiently burn fat for fuel again. High-carb, processed food diets prevent your body from efficiently burning fat as its primary fuel, and burning fats and ketones is far more efficient, inducing far less oxidative stress, than burning carbs.
And, while the DNA in your cells' nuclei have elaborate and highly efficient repair mechanisms, mitochondrial DNA do not have very good repair mechanisms. So, to protect your mitochondrial DNA, it's important to minimize the generation of free radicals in the first place.
A foundational dietary strategy to optimize your mitochondrial health then is to consume the best fuel — healthy fats, not carbs. Once you become an efficient fat burner, you minimize the oxidative stress placed on your mitochondria, which is key.
Why Stem Cell Regeneration Is so Important for Your Health
Another major benefit of KetoFasting (as well as other types of fasting) is the activation of new stem cells. Stem cells are "blank" cells that can be used to heal and regenerate any tissue or organ. By increasing and accelerating the production of stem cells, your body is better able to repair any damage you may have incurred.
In summary, damaged cells and cellular parts are cleared out (autophagy) during fasting, and then when you start eating again, stem cells are activated to move in and repair damaged tissue.
One of the benefits of KetoFasting, compared to other multiday fasting protocols, is that you can do it far more often, and by cycling through these autophagy and regeneration phases more frequently, your body is given more opportunities to heal.
If you were to do five-day water fasts, it's unlikely you'd do them any more than once a month, which means you'd complete about 12 in a year. Using the KetoFast protocol, on the other hand, allows you to go through this regenerative process anywhere from 52 to 104 times, depending on whether you're fasting once or twice a week.
While you may not get as much detoxification and autophagy benefits during any given fast, since you're doing it more frequently, you'll reap greater gains in the long run.
KetoFasting 101
The following is a three-step summary of my KetoFast protocol. While I believe it can help most people, you should not do KetoFasting if you're underweight, pregnant, breastfeeding or have an eating disorder.
1. The first step is to compress your daily eating window to six to eight hours for at least four weeks, meaning you eat all of your calories for the day during those six to eight hours, and for the remaining 16 to 18 hours, you're fasting. This is your base. Remember you sleep for eight hours; eat for eight hours; and have no food in your gut for at least 16 hours.
Most people will become metabolically flexible after this protocol, but you can test your ketones and confirm that you are, especially if you are heavy to start with, or diabetic, as it might take you longer to shift. Ketocoachx.com is the best blood meter out there and only costs 70 cents per strip to test your ketones.
2. Once you've followed this intermittent fasting schedule for a month — or when you have restored your metabolic flexibility to burn fat for fuel — you can move into the second phase, which involves having a single reduced-calorie meal, ideally breakfast, followed by a 24-hour, water-only fast, either once or twice a week.
This meal will typically be somewhere between 300 and 500 calories. To determine how many calories you should have at this meal, first calculate your lean body mass by subtracting your percent body fat from 100. (So, if you have 20% body fat, you have 80% lean body mass.)
Multiply that percentage (in this case, 0.8) by your current total body weight to get your lean body mass in pounds (or kilos). Next, multiply your lean body mass in pounds/kilos by 3.5. This is the number of calories you'll want to eat for that meal.
Contrary to other partial fasting programs, KetoFasting emphasizes the use of healthy foods at all times. This meal should not consist of junk food of any kind! The following is a general guide for the nutrient ratios you're looking for in this meal:
Carbs — Less than 10 grams of net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) so as not to replete your glycogen stores. Primarily, your carbs would then be nonstarchy vegetables, seeds or nuts.
Protein — Half of your personalized daily protein requirement. If you're younger than 60, a general recommendation for your daily protein requirement would be 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass, or 0.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Let's say your daily protein requirement is 80 grams. For this meal, you'd cut that in half to 40 grams.
The key here is not just lowering your overall protein intake but, rather, restricting your intake of branched-chain amino acids such as leucine, found primarily in meat and dairy products.
The reason you want to restrict branched-chain amino acids at this meal is because they inhibit autophagy — essentially blocking the very cleanout process you're trying to activate through fasting. An ideal form of protein to include in this meal is collagen (and/or bone broth), which provides great support for your connective tissue. Chlorella is another excellent protein you can include.
Fat — The remainder of your calories comes from healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, MCT oil, butter, olive oil and raw nuts.
By eating just that one 300- to 500-calorie meal and then fasting for 24 hours, you essentially end up having eaten once in 42 hours. This will effectively allow your body to deplete the glycogen stores in your liver, which sends autophagy soaring.
3. The day after you've completed your 42-hour KetoFast, you feast. This is also the perfect time to do hardcore strength training and load up on animal protein such as grass fed organic steak and/or whey protein, as now you're in rebuilding mode, which includes muscle building.
Certain Nutrients Can Inhibit or Activate Autophagy
In my book, I also explain when to avoid certain nutrients and supplements. While it's typically recommended to continue taking vitamins and minerals during fasting, some supplements will inhibit autophagy and therefore need to be avoided during the fasting phase. Others activate autophagy and can be a useful adjunct.
I've created an autophagy-activating tea that I only take on partial fasting days. I blend Pau D'arco bark tea, hydroxycitric powder, garcinia powder, quercetin powder, glycine and organic chamomile tea in a blender and drink it cold. For a bit of sweetness, I sometimes add a little monkfruit sweetener, also known as Lo Han. Following is a summary breakdown of some common supplements that either activate or inhibit autophagy.
Supplements that activate autophagy and can be taken during fasting Supplements that inhibit autophagy and should be avoided during fasting
Berberine
Colostrum
ECGC from green tea or wildcrafted apples
Glutamine
Pomegranate peel extract or pomegranate peel powder
Methylfolate
Organic chamomile tea
Vitamin B12
Branched-chain amino acids such as leucine
Exogenous ketones (they break down to butyrate, which increases coenzyme A, which inhibits autophagy)
Support Your Fasting Protocol With Near-Infrared Sauna
To further support detoxification during your fast, I recommend using a near-infrared sauna, which will help eliminate toxins through your sweat and also give you an important photobiomodulation treatment. An entire chapter of KetoFast is dedicated to the use of sauna, with specific do's and don'ts.
Most people don't realize that 30% of your proteins are misfolded once they are made and it is heat shock proteins that help either refold them or target the damaged peptides for destruction and recycling. There are a number of ways to activate heat shock proteins but sauna is one of the best.
For more details on the science of near-infrared saunas, see "How to Achieve Superior Detoxification and Health Benefits With Near-Infrared Light," which features my interview with Brian Richards, founder of SaunaSpace. A near-infrared sauna with low electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can cost several thousand dollars. However, you can make one inexpensively yourself.
Aside from the fact that near-infrared bulbs heat you up more effectively than far-infrared saunas do, near-infrared light (660 and 850 nanometers) also stimulates nitric oxide release and ATP production. I do a 30-minute sauna just about every day that I'm home, followed by cold thermogenesis — essentially, I just jump directly into my unheated pool. An alternative would simply to rinse off in a cold shower.
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What Happens to Your Body When You Do Yoga?
Table of Contents
What Is Yoga?
9 Different Types of Yoga That You Can Try
Pilates Versus Yoga
Yoga Health Benefits
6 Easy and Beneficial Yoga Poses
Yoga Essentials: Basic Equipment That You Need
Precautions Before Adding Yoga Into Your Workout Routine
Yoga FAQs
Yoga may seem like a hip and modern fitness routine, but it's actually an ancient mind and body practice that was developed in India more than 5,000 years ago. Its positive effects encompass your physical, mental and emotional health. So whether you're looking to shed a few pounds or you simply want to alleviate your stress, this meditative activity can surely benefit your health.1
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that combines postures, breathing techniques and meditative practices to improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Numerous studies also suggest that yoga is good for alleviating several medical conditions. The term "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj," which means to join or unite, indicating this practice's ability to unify the mind, body and soul.
The earliest written record of yoga appeared in the yoga sutras, which are written by the Indian sage Patanjali. The yoga sutras contain the fundamental principles, practices and philosophies of yoga, which are passed down from one generation to the next and are still followed by yoga practitioners today.2
According to Patanjali, there are eight "limbs" or stages of yoga. The first two, yamas and nyamas, are centered on ethical disciplines. The third and fourth stages are focused on physical postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama). The remaining four stages are meditative practices, which include sense withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and enlightenment (samadhi).3
Because it's generally a low-impact exercise, yoga is typically safe for beginners and even for kids or seniors. There are also different types of yoga, so finding one that suits your needs and preferences shouldn't be a problem.4
9 Different Types of Yoga That You Can Try
Yoga instructors didn't just pass down the basic fundamentals of yoga to their students, but they also created their own approaches and techniques. This led to the development of numerous types of yoga. Although these types have slight differences from each other, they're still aimed to unify the mind, body and spirit. Here are some of the most common types of yoga that you can perform:5,6,7
1. Hatha yoga — Considered the most popular type of yoga taught in the U.S., hatha involves basic breath-controlled exercises and yoga postures that are great for beginners.
2. Ashtanga yoga — Ashtanga is a vigorous form of yoga that involves quick movements, with the aim of improving strength and endurance.
3. Bikram yoga — Bikram involves 26 patented poses, which are practiced in a room that's heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with a humidity of 40 percent. It's aimed to help loosen the muscles, cleanse the body and relieve symptoms of chronic diseases.
4. Vinyasa yoga — Vinyasa is adapted from the traditional ashtanga techniques, which means that it's also an active form of yoga. The only difference between these two types is that vinyasa involves varying poses, while ashtanga sticks to a single routine.
5. Kundalini yoga — Kundalini emphasizes fast-paced flow of poses, proper breathing techniques and meditation to improve balance of the body. This form of yoga is more challenging than others, so it may not be suitable for beginners.
6. Hot yoga — Similar to bikram, hot yoga is also performed in a heated room. However, the room temperature and humidity for this yoga style is not defined. The routine may also be composed of varying poses.8
7. Core power yoga — Also known as power vinyasa, core power yoga is a strenuous routine that's aimed to stretch, strengthen and tone the muscles while emphasizing mind-body connection.9
8. Prenatal yoga — Prenatal yoga includes a series of postures that are specifically designed to help pregnant women prepare for labor, delivery and postpartum recovery.
9. Aerial yoga — Aerial yoga makes use of soft, fabric hammocks that are held up by carabineers, straps and support chains. You need sit on the hammock and use it for support while you perform aerial adaptations of traditional yoga poses.10
When choosing the type of yoga that you want to take up, make sure that you consider not just your interests, but your fitness level and health condition too. Talk to a yoga instructor to find out which style matches your health goals. Don't hesitate to ask about the physical demands and intensity of the type of yoga that you're interested in.11
Pilates Versus Yoga: Learn the Difference Between These Two Exercise Routines
Yoga and Pilates are very similar low-intensity workouts that are aimed to improve both the mind and body. Both activities require mental focus and proper breathing techniques. But despite their similarities, they still have distinct differences, which include:12,13,14
• Origin — As mentioned above, yoga originated from India more than 5,000 years ago. On the other hand, Pilates is a relatively new form of workout that was developed by Joseph Pilates toward the end of World War I to rehabilitate wounded soldiers.
• Principles — Pilates only focuses on the connection of the mind and body, whereas yoga involves spirituality into its practices.
• Objectives — The practices of Pilates are focused on core strength, whereas yoga is centered on flexibility and balance.
• Routine — Yoga routines are more flexible, since different postures and sequences can be performed. On the contrary, Pilates classes are more structured when it comes to routine.
When choosing between Pilates and yoga, consider your health goals and your fitness priorities. If you're looking for both flexibility of routines and spiritual experience, then yoga may be your best bet.15
Yoga Provides a Wide Array of Health Benefits
It's no big secret that yoga can improve your overall well-being in a variety of ways. Here are some of the major physical and mental health benefits that you can get from this workout routine:16
Increased flexibility
Better balance
Improved strength
Higher stamina
Better body alignment
Reduced stress levels
Improved mood and behavior
Enhanced mindfulness
The physical health benefits of yoga also make it a useful workout for athletes, like runners and swimmers, since it helps improve athletic performance and prevent injuries.17 Yoga's potential for healing has also been the subject of numerous studies over the past years. Research shows that the right set of yoga poses may indeed help relieve several medical conditions, such as:18,19
Chronic low-back pain
Hypertension
Mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression
Insomnia
Asthma
Carpal tunnel syndrome
6 Easy and Beneficial Yoga Poses That You Can Master
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Complicated yoga positions can be really intimidating, especially if you're just new to this workout routine. Don't let this discourage you, though, since there's actually a lot of yoga poses for beginners. These basic yoga postures are also great for kids, as they're not too strenuous to reenact. They include:20,21,22,23
1. Mountain pose (tadasana) — The mountain pose is considered the base of almost all poses. It's aimed to improve your posture and strengthen your core. To do this, stand with your feet together and heels slightly apart. Rest your arms at the side of your torso and bring your fingers together. Hold this pose for five to 10 seconds.24
2. Tree pose (vrikshasana) — This pose helps improve your balance, clear your mind, and strengthen your leg and back. You simply have to stand on one leg then bring your other foot up to your ankle, shin or thigh. Once you find your balance, put your arms in the air and bring your palms together.
3. Warrior II pose (virabhadrasana II) — This basic yoga pose is aimed to strengthen the lower portion of your body, including your hips, groin and legs. You can do this by standing with your feet wide apart. Turn your right leg out on a 90-degree angle, and then point the toes of your left foot to the front.
Stretch your arms out to the sides, with palms facing forward, and then slowly bend your right leg while keeping the other leg straight and firm.
4. Child's pose (balasana) — This is a resting posture that you can perform in between vigorous poses. You just have to bend your knees and sit on you heels, then slowly lower your head to the floor and stretch your arms out in front of you.
5. Chair pose (utkatasana) — This is a powerful pose that aims to strengthen the muscles in your arms and legs. To do this, you have to stand straight with your feet apart, then stretch your arms over your head. Slowly bend your knees as if you're sitting in a chair. Be sure to keep your back straight and your hands parallel to the ground.
6. Triangle pose (trikonasana) — The triangle pose helps stretch your hamstrings, thighs, calves and ankles. Stretch your right foot out to a 90-degree angle, while keeping the left leg close to your torso. After that, extend your right arm up and slowly stretch it toward your left side. Be sure to keep your waist straight.
Some of the poses mentioned above are used in hatha yoga,25 while others are included in the 26 patented bikram yoga poses.26 Performing these regularly can help you become more flexible over time. Whichever pose you decide to take on, make sure that you adjust it according your fitness level to avoid straining yourself.27
Yoga Essentials: Basic Equipment That You Need
If you're new to yoga, it can be a bit confusing to figure out the basic equipment that you need for your classes. The good news is that this workout does not really require a lot of accessories, so you don't have to spend too much money. Here are some of the basic yet essential equipment that you'll need:28
• Yoga mat — Also called sticky mat, a yoga mat keeps you from slipping while doing your routines, since they provide traction for your hands and feet. They also cushion you from the hard floor, and define your personal space inside the room.
• Yoga clothes — Wearing comfy and breathable clothes is extremely essential when performing yoga, since you don't want your clothes to hinder you from properly recreating different positions.
Women usually wear yoga pants and sports bras so they can move freely, while men often wear shorts. Shoes and socks are no longer needed, since yoga is usually performed barefoot. If you don't have these clothes, then any form-fitting and stretchy clothing will do. Some of the other equipment that you may need include blankets, blocks and straps — these are used as props to improve posture, provide extra support or avoid injury.
Take Note of These Precautions Before Adding Yoga Into Your Workout Routine
Keep in mind that everyone's health condition, fitness level and health goals are different. While yoga is generally beneficial to many people, you should consult a professional trainer before including it into your routine. While this form of meditative activity is generally considered safe for any age or gender, there are still situations wherein it may put your safety at risk.
If you have underlying health issues, such as a herniated disc, eye conditions, severe bone disorder, uncontrolled blood pressure or balance problems, you should consult your doctor before taking up yoga, since there may be poses or stretches that are not suitable for your condition.
Make sure that you also seek the guidance of a professional trainer if you're planning to do yoga while pregnant, since there are certain poses that you may need to avoid.29 Remember that the goal of yoga is to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. The last thing that you want is to harm yourself just because you tried to perform it without ample knowledge or help from a professional.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Yoga
Q: Why is yoga good for you?
A: Yoga is a good workout routine since it not only improves your physical health, but also enhances your mental, spiritual and emotional state.30
Q: What does yoga do for your body?
A: Yoga provides a variety of physical benefits, such as increased strength and flexibility, better balance and improved range of motion. It may also help maintain or improve your cognitive and mental health by improving your memory and concentration, reducing your stress levels, and fighting mental disorders like depression and anxiety.
Research also shows that yoga may help ease several medical conditions, like arthritis, asthma and heart diseases, among others.31
Q: How many calories does yoga burn?
A: It's hard to tell exactly how many calories you can burn by doing yoga, as it depends on a variety of factors, including the type of yoga that you're practicing, the intensity of your workout, the poses that you're doing and the duration of your routine.
According to Harvard Health, a person who weighs 155 pounds may burn 149 calories after doing 30 minutes of hatha yoga.32 Rigorous forms of yoga such as ashtanga may burn many more calories since they keep your heart rate up.33
Q: Is meditation a part of yoga?
A: Yes, meditation is an integral part of yoga. In fact, the last stages of yoga are all focused on meditative practices to unify the mind, body and soul. Almost all yoga types and poses emphasize the importance of meditation.34
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