Toxins in Children's Clothing

It seems like everywhere you look these days there is news that something else is toxic! Recently, Greenpeace came out with a report of toxic chemicals found in children's clothing. Greenpeace Taiwan tested 27 brands of children's clothing ranging from Dior to Disney to Hermes and Versace. They found 16 brands contained at least one toxic chemical. The toxic chemicals discovered were phthalates, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE), antimony and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).

Photo of a Burberry shirt taken from: Daily Mail UK & Greenpeace.

 What's is the danger in these chemicals?

• Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors. Phthalates are linked to birth defects, infertility, breast cancer, liver cancer, obesity, and diabetes.
• NPE are endocrine disrupting chemicals.
• Antimony is a carcinogen and is toxic to the skin, liver, heart and lungs. It can be found in polyester textiles. 
• PFCs are endocrine disruptors, are thought to raise the risk for cancer, and are believed to be linked to the following: thyroid disruption, infertility, developmental delays, liver dysfunction, immunotoxicity, preeclampsia and risk of high cholesterol. PFCs can be found in stain-resistant and water-repellant clothing.

These chemicals can also be found in adult clothing. However, since the release of this report, 19 of the 27 brands and one of the fashion suppliers have promised to try to clean up their act and remove the toxic chemicals from their products.

Sources:
Greenpeace
Taipei Times

Dietary Toxins and Eating Well

While I normally focus on toxins in personal care products and the environment, I've decided to take a look at toxins and harmful chemicals in the food we eat. This is a collaborative post with a wonderful blogger, Jessica David of Conveying Awareness with Jessica David.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwind3/2343142046/">Bradley Wind</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

To begin with, let's short list of some chemicals that we need to avoid in the food we eat.

• Mercury in fish: The dangers of mercury exposure include fatigue, memory problems, mercury poisoning, and dangers to the developing fetus.
• Artificial dyes: These are a color followed by a number, for example, Red 3. These dyes have been linked to behavioral problems in children and cancer.
• Sodium nitrate: Found in processed foods like hot dogs, bacon and sausage, sodium nitrate gives these foods their red tint. Sodium nitrates leads to an increase of nitrosamines in your body, which can lead to cancer. 
• Bisphenol A ( BPA): Often found in the lining of canned foods and beverages. It is estrogenic and can also leach from plastic. BPA has been linked to diabetes and heart disease. 
• Polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs): These are industrial coolants that can be found in farm-raised fish and are known endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. 
• Dioxins: Dioxins are contaminants formed during combustion and industrial processes. For example, trash burning, forest fires, incineration, herbicide manufacturing, and paper pulp bleaching. Dioxins can also be found in farm-raised fish and in the fatty tissues of animals that have been exposed to dioxins. The risks of dioxin exposure include, reproductive & developmental problems, an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, and cancer. 
• Hydrogenated oils: Oils are long, often branched chains of carbon and hydrogen that are liquid are room temperature. The branches are caused when there are carbon to carbon double bonds. Scientists can go into the lab and add hydrogen atoms to these double bonds to break them and make the molecule more stable. This is a hydrogenated oil. They are used to increase the shelf life of food products, but have been linked to diabetes and heart disease.
• Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame is probably the most famous artificial sweetener. It has been linked to headaches, dizziness and neuronal damage. Recently, another artificial sweetener, Splenda (sucralose) was linked to the release of cancer-causing chemicals when cooked & baked.
• GMOs: GMOs are genetically modified organisms. They are created when scientists take the genes from organism/species A and put them into unrelated organism/species B. We were told that GMOs would help alleviate the problem of world hunger, but instead, GMOs have largely been used to increase the consumption of pesticides (The Link Between GMOs and Pesticides). Studies on the safety of GMOs have largely come from the companies that produce GMOs, who have a vested interest in the outcome of those studies. While more independent scientific studies are needed on the safety of GMOs on humans, experiments from farmers show that animals prefer non-GMO food. One scientific study on rats, showed lifetime exposure to Roundup Ready GM corn lead to tumors, multiple organ damage and death. 
• Pesticides: Conventional farming relies heavily on pesticides. Pesticides have been linked to endocrine disruption, infertility, neurological damage and cancer. The most widely used pesticide, atrazine, has been extensively studied by Dr. Tyrone Hayes of UC Berkeley. He used to work for the company that made the pesticide, Syngenta, but when he tried to publish a paper on the negative effects of the product, they stopped him. Syngenta has been trying to stop him ever since. His website can be found here. Unfortunately, even organic foods are exposed to some pesticides through rain, runoff and the water table, though to a lesser extent than conventional produce.

Sources
Alternet
Care2
NIEHS

Now let's transition into how you can improve your diet to become your best you.

One of my passions is to share the benefits of eating the [real] rainbow daily and it's found in fruits and vegetables. I wasn't always like this though. It only occurred to me about 5 years ago the importance of eating more of nature's best so that I could heal some conditions that had plagued me for years. Though I have always been thin, I wasn't always healthy and I didn't know any better and guess what? I didn't care much about longevity in my 20s. It wasn't until I became a mom at age 31 that I decided to make some changes! It took another new mom to pull me aside and share with me how I could eat more fruits and vegetables and that it could be the first step in the right direction for reversing some damage done through nutrient poor food choices that I had made for many years. 

Fast forward a few years, I became a certified health coach. The seed to link arms with others in their wellness journeys was planted months after that talk with my friend. Learn more about my story here. So here I am encouraging you to strive for 5. Eat five different fruits and 5 different vegetables daily. Here are some tools to help you meet that goal. 
  
1) Download my free eGuide.  
2) Learn more about Traffic Light Eating from a L.E.A.N. perspective. 
3) Follow me on Pinterest. These boards are helpful: + Eating the Real Rainbow + Recipes Using Veggies + My recipes  
4) Join a CSA (farm-share co-op). For a listing in your area, visit Local Harvest. 
5) If it's right for you, take one of my L.E.A.N. Start online classes. 

In session three, we talk about ways to eat more of nature's best - fruits and vegetables! Info. 

In tip 2, it mentions the L.E.A.N. perspective. This is the 4 pillars of health: Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, and Nutrition and no matter the way you slice it (different words to describe the same concepts), we need all 4 components for our journey to wellness. World-renown pediatrician and author of nearly 40 books, Dr. Bill Sears (of the Sears Wellness Institute) teaches us that the most basic foundation of understanding nutrition is through the colors of a stoplight. Today's lesson is on the green light. The other two colors are summarized in tip two.

Green light foods are fruits and vegetables found closest to nature. If you're concerned about pesticides, other contaminants, and GMOs, purchase them organic or know your supplier. I teach that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is key to wellness and the benefits outweigh the risks. Over time, as your pockets adjust, you will find that eating produce without *most contamination may serve you better and it will support small local farmers and their families. Knowing your supplier is key because you can support local farmers and their families that cannot afford the organic label. This also applies to getting whole food nutrients in a capsule. If the product doesn't carry the USDA Organic seal, you may also look for NSF International's seal - this means that what the product claims to have or not have in their product is the truth via NSFs third-party non-affiliated testing and certification. * Even USDA Organic foods have some contaminants. See this link for more info. 

I live in a food desert. The options for fresh, sustainable produce free of contaminants are low. There are no farmers' markets in my area so it is difficult for me to find a good variety of produce locally. I shop about twice a week to two or three stores to find the best quality of produce. It's important for me to eat a variety of produce and for specific crops, I almost always buy organic when I can (see EWG Dirty Dozen for more info, link is below). I'm thankful that there is a farm-share co-op drop off in my city. I am a subscriber to Abundant Harvest Organics and eventually, I hope to grow my own soon with a Tower Garden. 

If you want more information on which fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of contaminants, visit EWGs: The Dirty Dozen. If you'd like to know how many and what kinds of contaminants are on your produce, check out What's On My Food.  Choose, eat, and live well! =)

 

Jessica David is a Certified L.E.A.N. Health Coach and the owner and founder of Conveying Awareness providing nutrition tips via a plethora of resources. Jessica feels that through encouragement we can impart education with lasting results. She advocates for families to eat more fruits and vegetables. She lives in Ridgecrest, California with her husband and their son. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and her blog.

Label Check: Petrolatum

This is the 5th installment in my Label Check series, in which I examine a chemical in depth.

Like its name suggests, petrolatum is created from petroleum or crude oil. It's a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons used as a skin or hair conditioner,  skin protectant, and machinery lubricant. It also absorbs UV rays. One of the most famous petrolatum products is probably petroleum jelly, in petrolatum is the main ingredient. For years, doctors have suggested parents use petrolatum to cure diaper rash for their babies.

Source: http://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-7551287dt.jpg

Petrolatum was originally found at the bottom of oil rigs in the 1800s. However, during refining, all of the carcinogenic products may not be removed. While the brand Vaseline is generally regarded as non-toxic, other brands may not be as trustworthy. 

 

Petrolatum also blocks the pores of your skin. It keeps your skin "moisturized," because it blocks water from being able to escape from your skin. It creates an illusion of moisturization, while really blocking air and water from reaching your skin. The thick barrier of petrolatum also blocks in any dirt on your skin, making it more difficult to clean. 

 

According to the Huffington Post:  

"People suffering from skin conditions like acne and rosacea should stay away from petroleum jelly altogether, since such thick emollients can aggravate those conditions. Those who rub Vaseline on dry, cracked noses to get through a cold might want to think twice, too: If petroleum jelly gets into the lungs, it can cause lipid pneumonia. It won't happen if you apply it once in a while, but Dr. Dattner recommends not making a daily habit of it."

Instead of using Petrolatum, use more natural moisturizers.  I sell Ava Anderson Products and use them myself.

One more reason to fight for tougher regulation of toxic chemicals.

Breastfeeding is best. We all know that. However, breastfeeding can also expose your child to toxic chemicals.

Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aurimas_m/3802740128/">c r z</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Man-made chemicals called persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of most concern. They spread through the environment and are stored in the fatty tissues of fish and animals until they reach the top of the food chain, humans. Once in humans, they are are stored in our fat, and our fat is necessary for the production of breast milk. When a nursing mother feeds her child, these POPs are released into the breast milk. Examples of POPs include certain pesticides, dioxin, toxic metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), flame retardants and PCBs.  

 

What can mothers do?  

 

Here is a list provided by the National Resources Defense Council. 

• "Quit smoking or never start, and keep others from smoking in your house or car

• Avoid alcoholic beverages

• Avoid use of pesticides in the home and garden or on pets

• Avoid exposure to solvents, such as paints, non-water-based glues, furniture strippers, gasoline fumes, perfume and nail polish

• Avoid dry cleaners and recently dry-cleaned clothes

• Eat a balanced diet low in animal fats and high-fat dairy products

• Avoid fish that may have high mercury or PCB levels, such as swordfish, shark, tuna and locally caught fish (see NRDC's guide to Mercury Contamination in Fish for more information)

• Eat organically grown food, if available"

 

Do these toxins harm you baby? A 2009, CDC study found that levels of certain toxins were higher in formula than they were in breast milk. Also, breastmilk may contain bacteria that can metabolize perchlorate, another environmental toxin found in breastmilk. Scientists and doctors still promote breastfeeding as the best option for mothers and children, if possible. 

 

What else can mothers do? 

Again, I support, Safer Chemicals Health Families and their actions on tougher regulation for toxic chemicals. 

 

 

Label Check: PEGs

This is the 4th installment in my Label Check series, in which I examine a toxic ingredient in depth.
PEGs (polyethylene glycol) is a petroleum-based product that has many uses and applications, from laxatives, to medicinal solvents and lubricants, and eye drops. PEGs can also be found in skin creams, toothpastes, and personal lubricants.  PEGs dissolve grease and oil. So by dissolving our skin's natural oils, they make our skin more vulnerable to other toxins. The structure of polyethylene glycol is below. The "n" denotes the number of repeating units.

Image from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Polyethylene_glycol.png

According to Truth in Aging:

"In cosmetics, PEGs function in three ways: as emollients (which help soften and lubricate the skin), as emulsifiers (which help water-based and oil-based ingredients mix properly), and as vehicles that help deliver other ingredients deeper into the skin."

There are multiple forms of PEGs. In labels, you will see the letters PEG often followed by a number.  The number tells the molecular weight. PEGs with a lower molecular weight can penetrate the skin more easily.  For example, PEG-8 has a lower molecular weight than PEG-100.

You also often see PEGs on the label as PEG-2 stearate. The stearate shows that the compound polyethylene (plastic) + glycol (alcohol) attached to a stearic acid molecule. Stearic acid, is a naturally occurring fatty acid, often from vegetable oil.

According to the Skin Deep Database, polyethylene glycol, may be contaminated with the carcinogens 1-4 dioxane and ethylene oxide. Consider this with PEGs skin penetrating properties.

Skin irritation due to PEGs will depend on the condition of your skin. Again from Truth in Aging: 

"To note, independent of molecular size, PEGs of all sizes may penetrate through injured skin with compromised barrier function. So it is very important to avoid products with PEGs if your skin is not in tip top condition.

This penetration enhancing effect is important for three reasons: 1) If your skin care product contains a bunch of other undesirable ingredients, PEGs will make it easier for them to get down deep into your skin. 2) By altering the surface tension of the skin, PEGs may upset the natural moisture balance. 3) PEGs are not always pure, but often come contaminated with a host of toxic impurities."

Check labels carefully to avoid products with PEGs, especially if you skin has any cuts, abrasions or openings. 

Treating Yourself Naturally - Bath Time Done Right!

This Valentine's Day treat yourself to a nice, relaxing Detox bath! This is a collaborative post with Conveying Awareness with Jessica David. 





Treating Yourself Naturally - Bath Time Done Right!

Toxic Chemicals at your fingertips.

Who doesn't love to paint their fingernails, or toenails for that matter; especially as the weather warms and the sandals come out? For many of us, it is a special indulgence, a bright spot in a stressful week. It's like changing your hair color, but less expensive and less time consuming.

Image from http://www.webmd.com/beauty/nails/20120411/is-your-nail-polish-toxic

In 2006, health advocates began raising alarms and awareness about three chemicals in nail polish (including top and base coats) referred to as "the toxic trio," According to the New York Times;  

"The trio consisted of a known carcinogen, formaldehyde, used as a hardening agent, and two materials linked to developmental defects: toluene, to evenly suspend color, and the plasticizer dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, to add flexibility and sheen."

Nail polish manufacturers said that they removed these chemicals from their products and began to label their polishes "non-toxic." However, a 2012 study by the California Environmental Protection Agency: California Department of Substances Control found that the "numerous" companies continued to use one, two, or all three chemicals in their polishes. A highlight video of the study is below.

These chemicals are toxic to both nail technicians and consumers, including pregnant women & children. (Phthalates pose a developmental risk to children, and children tend to chew on their nails). Adverse health effects of exposure include, asthma, birth defects and cancer. To find a safe brand, use the Skin Deep Database at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.