Ultra processed food (UPF) is the term used to describe foods where multiple ingredients have been combined to produce foods such as crisps, biscuits, mass produced breads and cakes, sugary drinks, cereals, pizzas, sausages, and other processed meat products. Foods are classified by the NOVA system which places foods into four categories, including ultra … Continued
We spend a lot of time indoors, so it’s quite worrying to discover that the quality of our air is affected by so-called “forever chemicals”. They have been shown to rise as particles into the air and settle onto surfaces in our homes, entering our bodies as we breath and drink. PFAS – a … Continued
We invited Professor Anna Hansell to share her thoughts on the important questions surrounding the relationship between air pollution levels and disease outcomes of the coronavirus, COVID-19. Anna is a Professor in Environmental Epidemiology and is the Director Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester. Hello Anna, could you please describe … Continued
Every day our bodies have the difficult task of selecting what has to be rejected as foreign material to prevent illnesses, including viral illnesses such as COVID-19. This sorting process is carried out by our immune system by our scavenging cells. These are cells that can attack, devour and digest bacteria, foreign particles, and other cells. Every day our bodies will scavenge hundreds of unwanted particles and cells. These will be abnormal cells arising from a multitude of sources including the DNA in our cells being hit by pollutants, allergens and other agents, and viral infections. Our immune system recognises unwanted foreign cells by detecting the proteins present on the surface of cells. Viruses, bacteria, and other foreign cells are recognised as being different from natural healthy cells, and this is when the immune system usually responds and attacks these unhealthy cells…
This week also brought a new study published in European Society of Cardiology which looked at long term effects of exposure to air pollution on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The study is one of a large group of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies which look at major health risks across the globe. This study focuses … Continued
Welcome to January, the month where many of us will make New Year’s resolutions about our health and well-being. And where ‘Dry January’ and eating plant-based for the month – ‘Veganuary’ – have made the usual headlines, there are other smaller changes you can make to improve your consumption and how it impacts your body … Continued
Endocrine disrupting chemicals and increased risk of breast cancer A new study in the US has found a strong link between use of hair dye and chemical straighteners and breast cancer risk. Women age 35-74 were enrolled into the study over a 6 year period. They completed a questionnaire including information about their use of … Continued
Proof that air pollution can age the brain New research published in the Journal of Neurology in November 2019 has found a connection between exposure to air pollution and increased the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The new study, titled ‘Particulate matter and episodic memory decline mediated by early neuroanatomic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease’ enrolled … Continued
It’s thought that we could be breathing in as many as 20,000 microplastic particles each year and ingesting up to 2000 pieces of microplastic every week. 40% of all plastic is used for packaging, or temporary use. Unlike many natural materials, plastic doesn’t disappear, it just gets smaller and turns into microplastics. It could be … Continued
