Chemical toxins are everywhere — in our water, food, air and soil. Exposure to those toxins during pregnancy can create seriousChildren born to European mothers exposed to four families of chemicals that disrupt the body’s endocrine system had elevated levels of metabolic syndrome at ages 6 to 11. Metabolic syndrome can include obesity, elevated blood pressure, and abnormally high cholesterol and insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
Mustieles and Fernández are investigators at the Biomedical Research Center at the University of Granada, Spain. Messerlian is an assistant professor of environmental reproductive, perinatal, and pediatric epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. These and other chemicals “end up in the blood, tissue, and organs of fetuses and infants through maternal transplacental and breastfeeding pathways in a never-ending cycle,” Mustieles, Fernández and Messerlian wrote.The study tested for pesticides; heavy metals; flame retardants; plasticizers such as phthalates and phenols; and PFAS , which are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow.
In the study, phthalates were the only group of chemicals that were associated with a lower level of metabolic syndrome. All of the other chemical families increased risk.Chemicals may vary in their impact on the body. For example, certain PFAS compounds tend to accumulate in the liver, contributing to fatty liver disease and high cholesterol.
Healthy Babies Bright Futures published a report in 2019 that found toxic metals in 95 per cent of the baby foods randomly pulled off supermarket shelves, which led to the introduction of The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, a bill that would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set stricter standards and allow the FDA to monitor these standards through access to the records of food suppliers and manufacturers.
At home, one easy change is to use glass or ceramic containers instead of plastic ones when heating food. If possible, try to cook with ceramic, cast iron, or stainless-steel pans and avoid cookware treated with chemicals to avoid food sticking. Another good choice is to use stainless steel or glass bottles instead of plastic ones.
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.The Canadian Hurricane Centre is predicting an active storm season off the country's East Coast this year, mainly due to record warm water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.