Submitted questions will be posted with my response by the following Tuesday or before.
Submitted comments will be moderated and approved within 24 hours.
Can Vitamins Protect You From Air Pollution?
A new study from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, found that a combination of vitamins could help protect your health when exposed to high levels of fine particles in the air.
An international research team found that a combination of three B vitamins – folic acid, B6 and B12 – could strengthen the self-defence mechanism of genome molecules, which are prone to mutate when exposed to high levels of PM2.5 (respirable suspended particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less). In addition, these vitamins could help healthy adults offset the inflammatory and other symptoms of short-term exposure, especially if they came from an area low in pollution.
While no dosages have yet been given, researchers recommended eating more food rich in vitamin B when traveling to an area of high air pollution. Leafy green vegetables and beans which are rich in folic acid. Fish, beef liver and starchy vegetables are high in B6. And B12 requires eating animal products, such as fish, meat, eggs and milk.
This is the first test on living humans to suggest a remedy for genetic damage caused by smog.
Well known symptoms of smog exposure include chest pain, dizziness, headaches and heart disease. Smog has also been associated with an increased in death rates, damage to human brain cells and interfering with the way genes work.
More than 90 per cent of the world’s population live in places where the annual average PM2.5 level is worse than the 10mcg per cubic metre of air recommended by the World Health Organisation.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: How vitamins can protect you from the damaging effects of air pollution
What’s a Miswak? And Why Should You Use It Instead of a Toothbrush?
Almost two years ago I posted a link on Debra’s List for a miswak. I didn’t make a big deal out of it because it was the only one and the first of it’s kind and I hadn’t tried it.
“I still haven’t tried it, but suddenly this past week I became aware of three websites selling miswaks, and posted them as well, and there may be even more, and more coming. I think it’s time to get one and try this out.”
So I thought I’d better tell you what it is.
A miswak is a natural “tooth-stick” made from a tree branch. Cut specifically from the tree ‘Salvadora persica’ it has a unique chemical composition that works exceptionally well to naturally clean and whiten teeth. It’s not a new thing. This is a traditional and natural alternative to the modern toothbrush, known to be in use for more than 7000 years and is still used today in Arabic countries, India, and parts of Africa.
The Journal of Health says, “It it has been found that if a miswak is used correcly, then it is more effective in reducing plaque and gum disease than that of a toothbrush due to its antibacterial properties and brushing action.”
It’s toothbrush, toothpaste, and tooth whitener all in one. It requires no water or toothpaste, so you can carry it with you and use it at any time.
These tooth-sticks are also free from chemicals and pesticides. They are just sticks in their natural state. But very special sticks with unique characteristics that are perfect for our teeth.
I love products like this which provide a completely natural, non-industrial alternative to a common industrial product, and outperforms us. It just reaffirms my belief that everything we need to be healthy exists in Nature. We just need to find it and use it.
JOURNAL OF AYURVEDA AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE: Miswak: A Periodontist’s Perspective
WIKIPEDIA: Miswak
Scientific studies documented
THE SAUDI DENTAL JOURNAL: A Review on Miswak and it’s Effect on Various Aspects of Oral Health
Miswaks on Debra’s List
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Why We Need to Start Paying as Much Attention to What We WEAR as We Do to What We EAT
Last week Ronnie Cummins, the International Director of the Organic Consumers Association published a post called Beyond Monsanto’s GMO Cotton: Why Consumers Need to Care What We Wear.
He gave a list of ten excellent points about why we need to move away from what’s being sold in the fashion industry (which I won’t list here—read the post), and pointed out that if you go to any of the top clothing or department stores you won’t find garments labeled “non-GMO,” “organic” or “Fair Trade certified.” That’s totally true.
And then he did acknowledge there are a growing number of online and retail clothing companies and brands, which offer non-sweatshop, natural fiber and organic clothes, accessories, and textiles, and gave a short list.
Inspired by this post from the Organic Consumer’s Association, I spent the afternoon updating my clothing and fabric pages.
Take a look…
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And also… OrganicClothing.blogs.com – all about organic, natural and sustainable clothing and eco-fashion.
NOTE: I just want to mention that I don’t screen for fair trade, not because it’s not an important issue, but because I am screening for nontoxic first. A company has to qualify on nontoxic and then I will note fair trade, but I don’t list companies that are fair trade that are selling products that don’t otherwise qualify.
ANOTHER NOTE: One of the problems I have in finding organic clothing to recommend to you is that so much of it is blended with other materials, especially spandex. I only recommend clothing and fabrics made from 100% natural fibers. For me, it’s more important that they be 100% natural fiber than be organic. Ideal would be 100% organic fiber. But I won’t accept natural fibers blended with synthetics.
I think the difference is that an organization like Organic Consumers Association is wanting to promote organic for the environmental benefits. And so any percentage of organic is a plus for organic. I am looking from the viewpoint of what is safe for the consumer and so any subtraction from 100% organic is a minus for the consumer.
Improve Your Environment AND Improve Your Body
I write a lot about how we can reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals found in consumer products in our home environment. And we should. Exposure to toxic chemicals can impair our health.
But there is a flip side and that is to make our bodies more able to tolerate our surrounding environment.
From my experience it’s a balance.
Many people who read this blog have Multiple Chemical Sensitivies, which makes them not be able to tolerate many things in the enviornment. Some of these things are toxic chemicals, but others are not.
Many years ago I realized that there are three types of materials.
One type is those materials that do harm, such as toxic formaldehyde.
Another type is those materials that do good, such as an organic apple.
And others neither harm nor benefit, but simply are neutral.
When someone says to me “I can’t tolerate….” and they give me a list of neutral and good materials, that tells me that they need to do more than simply eliminate toxic products, they need to also do things that boost their body’s ability to tolerate the part of the world that is not doing harm.
It’s a matter of making the environment less and less dangerous, and making one’s body more and more able to tolerate the environment.
There are many things one can do to improve body tolerance. It has a lot to do with detox, getting enough good nutrition, getting enough sleep so your body can rebuild, getting exercise, and doing whatever health-oriented treatments like massage, homeopathy and other practices that support health rather than fighting disease.
Many years ago I realized that the way to cure any illness is the same: it’s living in a way that creates health. I must be doing something right because this year for the first time I went through the entire winter with no flu at all, not even a sniffle. I wasn’t down for one day. That’s a strong immune system!
I’m not saying I’m perfect. I’m still learning how I need to live to create my body being strong and healthy. But every time I run into a health problem, I recognize it as my body giving me a message to change something about my everyday life. And when I find that and change it, I eliminate that problem.
I eliminated MCS for myself thirty years ago by changing the home environment that was causing it. But more than that I did things that supported my health in a positive way. I remember getting acupuncture and all kinds of alternative treatments at the time.
And today, while I live in a home that is as nontoxic as I can possibly make it, I also freely roam out in the world with no ill effects.
Removing chemicals lessens the negative assault on our bodies, but we also need beneficial actions that help our bodies heal and be strong.
Indoor Cats Have Higher Levels of Flame Retardants
A new study at Stockholm University has found indoor cats now have high levels of brominated flame retardants in their bloodstream.
“In a previous study, the researchers demonstrated that brominated flame retardants were found in higher concentrations in the blood of cats that had developed Feline hyperthyroidism compared to healthy cats. Now, new measurements of healthy cats establish their dust exposure. Paired samples were taken from the same household — meaning that they took both dust samples and blood samples at the same time.”
The study noted that the fire retardants are endocrine disruptors that are affecting humans as well as cats.
CONSUMERAFFAIRS: Study Finds Indoor Cats Have Higher Levels of Flame Retardants
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: This and other related studies
A Couple of Interesting Posts About Thyroid Disease
A whole summit is coming up in March about thyroid and since many people with sensitivities to chemicals also have thyroid problems (including myself) I thought I would pass a long a couple of interesting items that have been released in advance.
First is the post 5 Toxic Skincare Ingredients You Should Avoid if you Have a Thyroid Condition. While I know most of you have already eliminated these five ingredients entirely from your personal care products by choosing natural and organic body care products , this article gives good scientific data about why we should be doing this.
Also there is an interesting post called Why Women Have More Thyroid Disorders: The Izabella Entz Safety Theory that says the thyroid gland is part of our body’s sensing pattern that scans the environment to determine what is safe and what is dangerous. When the thyroid gland senses danger, it can actually initiate an autoimmune response.
This begs the question: Are our thyroid glands sensing the danger of toxics in our environment and causing our bodies to respond?
The upcoming summit will have more than 100 presenters talking about cutting edge cures for thyroid disease. If you want to know more, visit http://thethyroidsecret.com
Between my environmental controls, diet, and taking Armour thyroid supplement, I’ve pretty much got my thyroid condition under control. But I’d like to not be dependent on taking the supplement. So I’m going to keep an eye on the summit and see what the latest is.
Microfiber Mops
Question from Bonnie
Hi Debra,
I am shopping and looking at cotton and microfiber mops.
I checked your website and it said microfiber tiny plastic pieces were polluting water.
But I also saw another section that said microfiber is nontoxic.
Could the plastic fibers be inhaled. Are the microfiber mops safe?
Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
It’s not toxic to use a microfiber cloth or mop and it doesn’t give off microfibers into the air.
So I have no reason to tell you not to use a microfiber mop from a health viewpoint.
But microfibers are synthetic materials made from crude oil and they don’t biodegrade.
Cotton, on the other hand is a plant, which will biodegrade gracefully back into the environment after serving as a mop.
Avocado Green Mattress vs Naturepedic
Question from Shilpa
Hi Debra,
I have been researching for a safe mattress ever since I learnt about off gassing. My kid has turned 5 and I was startled to find out how dangerous it is, to be sleeping on the regular memory foam. I am planning to rid all mattresses at home.
I found your site to have valuable information. I would really appreciate if you can compare naturepedic vs avacadogreenmattress . Every time I try a 100% organic bed, it takes me to naturepedic. Is that the only company we should look for or am I missing something here.
Your recommendations and suggestions will be really helpful.
Debra’s Answer
Well, Naturepedic really is the best organic mattress (see Q&A: A Comparison of Certified Organic Mattresses)
But I’ll compare them to Avocado.
| Naturepedic | Avocado | |
| Latex | GOLS certified organic | natural latex |
| Wool | GOTS certified organic | natural wool |
| Cotton | GOTS certified organic | GOTS certified organic |
The biggest difference, however, is that Naturepedic is a certified organic mattress manufacturer, which means that every aspect of the process is certified organic—everything from the materials to the factory.
The only thing organic about this avocado is the cotton. Who knows what’s happening in the factory.
I’ll just mention that the Avocado website headline is false and misleading. they are not “Earth’s most green & healthy mattress.”
Kapok Pillows at White Lotus Home
White Lotus Home kapok pillow on my bed
I originally published this on Shop With Debra in 2015, and took it down when I stopped publishing that blog. I’m bringing it back because I still sleep on this pillow and it’s still the best pillow I’ve ever had and someone asked a question about kapok.
After I read that White Lotus Home had kapok pillows, I knew I had to have one. My wool pillows, which I have loved, don’t last as long as I would like, but are much better than cotton fill, which is too hard for me.
So when I learned that kapok is more resilient and lasts longer, I had to try it.
Kapok is the fluff around a seed that grows in a protected pod on the magnetic kapok tree. Fibers are pulled from the seeds pods, then air cleaned by spinning at high speed, resulting in a soft, puffy, resilient material that has no dust or pod debris. Read more about kapok here.
My pillow arrived on Monday and it’s a dream come true.
As I told White Lotus Home President Marlon Pando on Toxic Free Talk Radio , the first night I slept on it, I put my head down and fell right to sleep. And I’ve been sleeping better every night since. Amazing the difference a pillow can make.
Another thing I love about this pillow is that it has an invisible zipper on the side, so I can open the pillow and move the fill around, or add more, or change it. This way I can buy more fill if needed instead of a whole new pillow. And the zipper is “invisible” so you don’t even see or feel it.
I chose this pillow because it’s made from organic cotton and kapok collected from the wild, so it’s as pure as you can get. I know the quality of White Lotus Home. I’ve visited their work space and showroom in Highland Park NJ, so I know the manufacturing environment is clean, toxic free, and fragrance-free through and through.
I’m going to order another one.
AND…I just received an email from White Lotus Home about their buckwheat pillows and their buckwool pillows. Buckwool is half buckwheat, half wool, which offers the best of both fills. “While the Organic Buckwheat will mold to your desired shape, the layers of virgin wool provide a soft cushion between you and the firm buckwheat, and you can flip the pillow to whichever side you may need at the time.”
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Listen to my interview with Marlon Pando, Owner of White Lotus Home |
World Mercury Project
There have been many stories in the media this week about last week’s press conference by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Robert De Niro, Del Bigtree, Rev. Tony Muhammand and Nicholas calling for mercury-free vaccines in the US and other mercury reforms. They offered a $100,000 prize to any journalist who can produce a peer-reviewed scientific study that proves that mercury in vaccines is safe.
Kennedy has founded the World Mercury Project “to raise public awareness of the dangers and sources of mercury, with the ultimate goal of banning all uses of mercury on a global level. We believe the public is in critical need of accurate information with regard to the sources and dangers of mercury which will allow them to better protect themselves and their families from the potential devastating effects of the potent neurotoxin.”
“The average person does not know that mercury is the second most toxic element on the planet , nor do they know that it is an incredibly potent toxin even at small exposure levels. Once in the body, mercury has a high affinity for moving into the brain where it can become trapped for decades. Once in the brain, mercury causes a chronic inflammatory process in the tissue which has been connected to autism, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and many more adverse health consequences.”
Though there has been a lot of attention on mercury in vaccines, there are many other sources of mercury exposure. And the World Mercury Project aims to address the elimination of all of them.
Their website contains much information about mercury, documented with studies (click on “LEARN MORE” in the menu for many links to health and environmental effects and related illnesses.
Every toxic chemical should have an organization like this dedicated to identifying the problems with the chemical, making them known to consumers, and eliminating them from consumer products.
In addition, here is an excellent complication of studies on mercury compiled by GreenMedInfo: GREENMEDINFO: Toxic Ingredient Thimerosal
