These everyday items in your home are trying to kill you: new book
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the house.
A new book, “Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health,” out Tuesday, warns of the chemicals and other ugly ingredients we are exposed to minute by minute in our everyday lives.
Penned by controversy-stirring wellness guru Darin Olien, co-host of Netflix’s “Down to Earth with Zac Efron,” which critics have accused of peddling pseudoscience a la Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, the book claims there’s danger lurking in our food supply, on the clothes we wear and in our showers and beds.
“The list of Fatal Conveniences is almost endless, and it constantly grows longer as new products and novel substances are introduced into the marketplace and our homes and lives,” Olien writes.
“In lots of cases, the damage isn’t even created by the convenience itself. It’s caused by a hidden, unnoticed ingredient that comes along for the ride: The preservative. The propellant. The flavoring. The dye. The emulsifier. The thickener. The lining of the container. The completely unnecessary fragrance that’s there only to make you love the product a little more.”
These are some of the most common products you’ve likely used today that Olien says could be harmful to your health.
Soap
Phthalates, a group of so-called “everywhere chemicals” used for strengthening plastic, are often found in soaps to make them more fragrant, according to Olien. That’s not a good thing.
“Previous research has linked the chemicals used to increases in premature births, gestational diabetes, obesity, breast and thyroid cancers and infertility,” he writes. “Diethyl phthalate is used to make the scent in soaps last longer, but the FDA doesn’t require listing individual fragrance ingredients.”
A 2020 study noted “moderate evidence that [Diethyl phthalate] exposure can lead to developmental effects,” but concludes more research is needed to best surmise impacts of it.
Keep an eye on any product that voluntarily lists the chemical as an ingredient, the author advises.
While shopping, “look for products made with simple ingredients, as few as possible, and sold in environmentally friendly packaging.”
Jeans
When it comes to jeans, it’s time to let loose.
Women who wear snug jeans are prone to urinary tract infections “due to buildup of bacteria thanks to moisture being unable to escape.”
Both sexes can get acid reflux from the tight pants in addition to abdominal cramps along with meralgia paresthetica — “a painful nerve condition afflicting the legs, all caused by clothing-induced lower body compression.”
Research from 2019 connected tight jeans to vulvodynia, a vaginal pain lasting months at a time.
Men face risk of lower sperm count and loss of blood from twisted testicles, according to Olien.
There’s a simple fix: “Don’t buy pants that strangle you below the waist. Give your genitals a little breathing room.”
Kids’ clothing
What your child wears may actually impact their behavior and performance in school, Olien warns. No, not because of style but rather garments that again contain chemical phthalates.
“Phthalates also affect the development of children’s brains, putting them at higher risk for learning, behavioral and attention disorders,” he writes. “In 2017, the federal government banned the use of phthalates in children’s toys and other products, but for some reason not in their clothing.”
A study from 2020 “suggested that new clothing is an important route of phthalate exposure to preschool children” as well.
Here’s what to be on the lookout when getting little ones a new wardrobe.
“When possible, buy organic cotton or other natural fiber garments. That includes bibs, despite the fact that a cotton bib is harder to keep clean than one made of plastic,” he writes. “Avoid anything stain resistant, wrinkle-free or waterproof.”
Milk
He’s boo on the moo. Olien’s beef with milk from cows, particularly in the states, is that farmers give cows the chemicals Recombinant bovine growth hormone and bovine-somatotropin — banned by both the European Union and Canada.
“Their concern is that milk from bST-treated cows has higher levels of something called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone that may increase cancer cell growth,” Olien writes.
According to the American Cancer Society: “It is not clear that drinking milk produced using rBGH significantly increases IGF-1 levels in humans or adds to the risk of developing cancer.”
Research from 2019 notes that the dreaded antibiotic residue is much more prevalent in conventional milk rather than organic.
Air Conditioning
Chill out on the AC use this summer — all that forced, filtered air can make you more prone to illness, give you headaches, and lead to lethargy, according to the author.
Research done during South Korea’s 2018 heat wave found that those who used air conditioning at length were more likely to develop these symptoms.
“The likely reason is that air-conditioning’s power to dehumidify dries out the mucus membranes in our noses, throats, and ears,” Olien writes. “When that happens, we lose some of our ability to fight off infections.”
Olien admits options here are limited, particularly in hotter climes. Still, he urges caution: “Leave it off until it’s truly painful living without it,” he wrote.
“First see if opening a few windows and turning on a fan or two is enough to make life tolerable. Try wearing less clothing, especially at home.”
