Nuganics

We all drink/eat out of plastic bottles/containers at some stage but do the chemicals within the plastic leach into our food and water? Common sense would suggest that there would be some chemical leaching especially when the plastic is subjected to microwaves, strong acids/alkali or heat from dish washing but is this a concern?

A lot of plastic materials have recycling numbers imprinted into the plastic. For example most disposable water bottles are made from PET which is recycling number 1. This plastic if fine for single use but can decay allowing microbe contamination to grow which can be a health hazard. They should only be used for single use.

Since PET is meant to be single use we may turn to sports bottles which are commonly made of a harder plastic as they are designed for multiple use. These are commonly made from recycling number 7. Recycling number 7 contains a chemical called Bisphenol A. This chemical has been found to mimic hormones in our body. Bisphenol A has shown in rat studies to effect reproductive and fertility function. Pregnant or expecting mothers need to be particular aware of this problem as it could have similar effects in humans.

So what are you left to use? I recommend using glass where ever possible. It is easy to clean, won’t scratch and doesn’t have the potential problems of plastic. I would also keep away recycling numbers 3 and 6 as they also have other chemicals that maybe of concern.

From this video Dr Narmer Galeano explains these conditions and the differences between them. The cause isn’t fully understood but bacteria might be a contributing factor that Dr Narmer Galeano mentions so probiotics might help some people. Yoghurt is a good start but larger amounts of probiotics maybe required.

Is there a link with nutrition and mental health? In this video Natelie finds the truth about the links between nutritional deficiency and mental illness.

Nutritional problems can cause all sorts of psychiatric symptoms including insomnia, apathy, concentration problems, irritability, low energy, agitation, fatigue, low energy, aches and pains, weight changes, including weight gain or weight loss. These are common symptoms of depression. The truth is the average diet containing a lot of fast food is low in essential nutrition that you need for your body to function correctly.

Not all depression is caused by bad nutrition but it’s certainly can be a contributing factor in many cases and bad nutrition will always make depression worse. We have to understand that anti-depressant drugs also do not correct the underlying nutritional problems. So if your depressed because of nutritional problems an antidepressant will only partially cover up the problem. Lifestyle changes are needed to correct the problem.

After being introduced to the concepts and book of Rachel Carson at university it showed me that you need to look at the cause of the problem and not just the symptoms.   Silent Spring is a must read for anyone in agriculture or concerned about the effect of chemical on the environment.   You can find it in my book shop.

Researchers have cracked the mystery of why eating garlic can help keep the heart healthy. The key is allicin, which is broken down into the foul-smelling sulphur compounds which taint breath. These compounds react with red blood cells and produce hydrogen sulphide which relaxes the blood vessels, and keeps blood flowing easily. Lead researcher Dr David Kraus said: “Our results suggest garlic in the diet is a very good thing. “Certainly in areas where garlic consumption is high, such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, there is a low incidence of cardiovascular disease.”
Read more at BBC Health