A lot of folks ask me where I find the time to stay up to date with current health news when I’m constantly traveling. The truth is, it isn’t always easy, but information sources like the Environmental Health Perspectives journal are a huge help.

EHP helps raise awareness about environmental toxins and their effects on human health—a subject I’m pretty passionate about, as you know!—and the latest issue talks about two studies whose results I just had to share. Even though it’s not exactly good news (okay, I guess you could say it’s just plain bad news), it’s a subject we just can’t afford to ignore any longer: everyday chemicals are wreaking havoc on our bodies and our well being.

In the first study, prenatal exposure to chemical toxins called phthalates (pronounced THA-lātes) was linked to birth defects in newborns and extreme behavioral problems in younger children. Scientists tested the urine of pregnant women for phthalates and then followed up with them as their children aged to track their behavioral development… and guess what? The women with the highest levels of phthalates reported the worst behavior in their children. So about now you’re probably thinking, “Well, what the heck are phthalates and how can I avoid them?” Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple.

Phthalates are found in a lot of everyday products, and I mean a lot—especially things like make-up and beauty products. On the bright side, they’ve been removed from children’s products because they were found to be harmful, but exposure for expectant mothers really hasn’t been taken into consideration before now… maybe after hearing these results the regulators will finally listen?? I certainly hope so!

The second study looked at the effects of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) on women who were trying to get pregnant. PBDEs are flame-retardant chemicals used widely in things like electronics, mattresses, carpet and fabrics, plastic products, and believe me—the list goes on. But what’s really scary is that they’re also found in household dust because the chemicals rub off on the products over time. Now, I hate dusting, but that might make me think twice about putting it off when I’m feeling lazy!

The results of this second study showed that women who had higher levels of PBDEs in their blood had a harder time getting pregnant, and it took them longer to conceive than women with lower blood levels of PBDEs. The point? This toxic soup we’re swimming in is everywhere, folks. But short of moving to Antarctica (oh wait, the ozone layer there is depleting—never mind!), there is no way to avoid them all. My advice is just to take small but sensible steps to reduce your exposure to harmful toxins, beginning with considering the products you buy (and opting for natural alternatives whenever possible), and making sure you cleanse and detox regularly!

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Pesticides…it’s a scary subject folks! And it’s one that comes up a lot these days thanks to modern industry. Pesticides and herbicides are among the more than 80,000 chemicals being used in America today, most of which have been shown to cause serious health problems in humans—even in small amounts. So when I heard recently that the Environmental Protection Agency is finally taking steps to ban one of the most harmful pesticides in use today, I couldn’t help but celebrate!

Last month the EPA moved to ban the use of endosulfan once and for all in the U.S., and I wasn’t the only one doing a happy dance. Health advocacy groups like the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) have been trying to remove endosulfan from the market for years because of its widely documented health effects in humans.

Banned in more than 60 countries worldwide, endosulfan is used most commonly on vegetable crops and cotton and has been linked to birth defects and delayed sexual development in children, as well as an increased risk of developing autism. And even though it’s not considered a carcinogen (a cancer-causing toxin), research shows that endosulfan may also contribute to certain types of cancer, in particular breast cancer.

Right now the EPA is working with the sole U.S. manufacturer of endosulfan to establish a timeframe that would allow farmers to come up with effective alternatives to endosulfan use—bravo! My only hope is that other countries will follow suit, and pretty soon we can phase out the use of endosulfan for good.

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Summary:
In this video blog I discuss an article posted on Science Daily about herbicides that are used on corn. What are herbicides? Do herbicides pose a risk to your health? Tune in and find out the answers…

Full Script:
Yesterday I read an article posted on Science Daily website I found frightening and frankly downright stupid. The article was citing a recent study which found that the herbicides mesotrione and atrazine, when applied to sweet corn, increased the corn’s nutritional value.

Specifically, they stated that these herbicides increased the carotenoids called lutein and zea-zan-thin which are linked to health benefits.

How stupid do they really think we are? Should we now be making sure our corn has these herbicides on it? Obviously this study was funded by either the American Chemical Society or the biggest herbicide manufacturer Monsanto.

And what about the “benefits” of these herbicides? How about birth defects, ocular lesions, liver, kidney and heart damage! These herbicides are even more harmful to our children.

My response to this type of scientific reporting? “Give Me A Break!”

And don’t forget to visit DetoxStrategy.com, the website of my book, The Detox Strategy: Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps.

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birth defects, Brenda Watson, carotenoids, detox strategy, heart damage, herbicides, kidney damage, liver damage, lutein, monsanto, ocular lesions, zea-zan-thin