Health & Fitness

Your biological age can provide a good clue about your longevity, far more so than your chronological age. Your biological age refers to the state of your cells — they can be younger or older than your calendar age, which means you’re aging slower or faster than expected.

Environmental exposures have a lot to do with biological or cellular aging and, according to a December 2019 study^1,2 published in The Journals of Gerontology, lead, mercury and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are the three toxins shown to have the greatest impact on your life span.

While glyphosate was not included in this study, my guess is it would probably be a top contender as well, considering it disrupts normal body functions, especially your gut, and appears to enhance the damaging effects of other toxins.

According to Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, glyphosate worsens virtually all modern diseases which, of course, will shorten your life. That said, lead, mercury and PFOS have repeatedly been identified as significant contributors to chronic ill health and are certainly among the most pervasive and concerning toxins out there.

The Dangers of Lead Are Well-Recognized

As one might expect, the December 2019 study³ found that “biological age was elevated relative to actual age in people who had chronic disease,” while those participating in a wellness program showed signs of slowed aging.

“This observation suggests that biological aging is modifiable,” the researchers note, and that lowering your biological aging rate is “a sign of healthy aging.” Strong predictors of biological age were measures of metabolic health, inflammation and toxic accumulation, with lead, mercury and PFOS being the most influential predictors.

In “The Heroes Who Sunk Lead,” I review the history of lead and its impact on organ function, especially your brain. Importantly, there is no known safe exposure to lead, which often affects young children and lower socioeconomic groups the hardest.

Epidemiological studies have revealed African-American children have a higher incidence of lead poisoning, potentially from a slightly different way of metabolizing the heavy metal.

Lead and calcium are chemically very similar, making lead a competitor at the cellular level and disrupting many different bodily systems.⁴ In your neurological system, it may disrupt neurons that use calcium to transmit information.⁵

The presence of lead will cause some neurons to fire more and decrease the signals in others. This may alter neurological development in the brains of children who have absorbed lead from their environment.

The Public Health Heroes Who Fought to Lower Lead Exposure

One of the leaders in the fight against lead was Dr. Herbert Needleman, a pediatrician who saw firsthand the damage lead does to children. After years of treating children and observing the long-term effects of exposure, he maintained that a slow buildup of lead in the system could trigger symptoms even in the absence of overt poisoning.

As lead-based paint and gasoline were the biggest contributors to lead poisoning in children, Needleman and public health expert and colleague Dr. Philip Landrigan began lobbying to remove lead from these products. The industry fought back using paid experts to pick apart and publicly lambast the research. The industry also went after Needleman personally, trying to discredit him and destroy his career.

Another prominent player was geochemist Clair Patterson, Ph.D., who fought the oil companies to have lead removed from gasoline. Even when it was added to gas in the 1920s it was known to cause neurological damage. Still, the process was pursued as it enabled the oil companies to net greater profits.

In 1965, Patterson published the book, “Contaminated and Natural Lead Environments of Man,”⁶ in an attempt to bring the dangers of lead gasoline on health and environment to light.

Again, the industry brought to bear its influence to discredit the science and the man in an effort to maintain profits at the cost of human health. But despite the overwhelming odds, Patterson ultimately succeeded and was instrumental in bringing forth the 1975 U.S. mandated option of unleaded gas at the pumps.

In 1986, Patterson’s persistence triggered the removal of lead from all gasoline in the U.S. altogether. As a result, Americans’ blood lead levels dropped nearly 80% by the late 1990s. In my view, Patterson is one of the greatest unrecognized public health heroes of the 20th century.

Lead Exposure Continues To Be a Concern

The elimination of leaded gasoline didn’t get rid of all lead exposures, however. As noted in a June 26, 2019, article⁷ in The Guardian, “hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. remain at risk of exposure to lead, which causes cognitive and behavioral deficits.”

Of the 31 states that have reported statistics on the percentage of children with elevated lead levels, Louisiana and Kentucky are among the worst.⁸ The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates as many as 24 million U.S. residences built before 1978 still contain lead hazards, and in June 2019 announced $330 million in grants will be distributed to clean up lead and other safety hazards in low-income housing communities.⁹

A 2017 study¹⁰ also noted that many children with elevated lead levels remain undiagnosed. An estimated 1.2 million cases of elevated blood lead levels were thought to have occurred between 1999 and 2010, yet only 606,709¹¹ were reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during that time, suggesting significant underreporting.

According to the authors, “Based on the best available estimates, undertesting of blood lead levels by pediatric care providers appears to be endemic in many states.” Indeed, many pediatricians are likely to overlook factors such as lead exposure when faced with neurologically challenged children. This is a travesty, as your child’s condition will surely continue to decline unless the lead accumulation is addressed and reduced through a comprehensive detoxification program.

Strategies to Avoid Lead Poisoning

The issue of preventing lead poisoning is a pressing matter, whether you have young children in your home or not. Harvard Medical School offers the following suggestions to protect yourself and your family against lead exposure:¹²

• Was your home built before 1978? If so, get it inspected to determine whether it has any lead paint
• Lead paint removal should be done by a certified professional to ensure safety. The dust is highly toxic. For more information on this, see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Lead-Based Paint Activities Professionals” page¹³
• Get your water tested for lead 
• Be mindful of the fact that certain household objects may contain lead. For information about lead-containing products and recalls, see the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s website¹⁴
• Get your child tested for lead. Ideally, all children should be tested at ages 1 and 2, and again at ages 3 and 4 if you live in an older home. It’s also recommended to test your child’s level whenever there’s concern about exposure. A level of 5 mcg/dL or higher is considered dangerous

The Dangers of Mercury

When it comes to mercury, two of the most prevalent sources are dental amalgam and seafood. Amalgam emits mercury vapor even after it is implanted into the body. This mercury is bioaccumulative and crosses the placenta to accumulate in fetuses, as well. Dental amalgam’s mercury is a known health risk, especially for children, fetuses, nursing infants and people with impaired kidney function.

Mercury-based dental amalgam also pollutes water via dental clinic releases and human waste; air via cremation, dental clinic emissions, sludge incineration and respiration; and land via landfills, burials and fertilizer. Once in the environment, dental mercury converts to its even more toxic form: methylmercury and becomes a major source of mercury in the fish people eat.

For several years now, I’ve been working with Charlie Brown and the Consumers for Dental Choice to eliminate the use of amalgam in the U.S. and around the world. Europe paved the way for global change by banning the use of amalgam fillings in pregnant or nursing women and children under the age of 15 as of July 1, 2018.¹⁵

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has been dragging its feet, but there are finally signs of movement. November 13, 2019, a scientific advisory panel gathered to review the science on mercury. Consumers for Dental Choice brought several talented speakers to testify.

The science committee, by consensus, called on FDA to end its silence on amalgam, and to start getting information about amalgam's risks to American patients, especially to vulnerable populations.

The question now is whether the agency will continue protecting the amalgam business at the expense of public health — which it has done for decades — and ignore the conclusions of its own scientific body. To learn more about this and for instructions on how you can submit a public comment to the FDA, see “Dentists Are Breaking Toxic Mercury Laws.”

Avoid Amalgam at All Cost

Regardless of what the FDA decides, it’s crucial to avoid amalgam if you want to protect your health and that of your children. Here are some general tips and guidelines: 

PFOS Contamination Is Pervasive

Per- and polyfluoroalykyl substances^16,17 (PFAS) are widely used chemicals that make products water-, oil-, grease- and stain-resistant. The chemicals are also used in firefighting foam. One type, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), is commonly found in older nonstick cookware.

PFOA and its cousin PFOS are associated with a wide array of health problems, including cancer, immune and thyroid dysfunction, low birth weight and more.¹⁸ Making matters all the worse, these chemicals take thousands of years to degrade and are found in groundwater across the country.^19,20 As such, they’re a considerable environmental threat.

Research²¹ by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in 2007 found PFAS chemicals in the blood of more than 98% of Americans tested. PFOS was phased out starting in 2000.^22,23 However, thanks to their persistence in the environment, they’re still showing up in the strangest places — including food.

How do they get into your food? One is by way of sewage sludge, applied to farmland. Documents²⁴ obtained by The Intercept reveal 44 samples of sewage sludge tested by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection all contained at least one PFAS chemical.

Another route is nonstick food wrappers. Research^25,26 published in 2017 revealed 33% of fast food wrappers and containers contain fluorine, which suggests perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) were used to give the paper that slick surface, and earlier studies^27,28,29 have confirmed fluorinated chemicals can migrate from the packaging into the food.

More recently, food testing by the FDA (performed in 2017 as part of its Total Diet Study³⁰ and presented at the 2019 meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) reveals PFAS chemicals are in the U.S. food supply,^{31,32,33,34,35} and at levels far exceeding the advisory limit for PFOA and PFAS in drinking water (there’s currently no limits in food).

Of the 91 foods tested for 16 types of PFAS, 10 were found to contain the chemicals.³⁶ As reported by PBS:³⁷

“PFOS, an older form of PFAS no longer made in the U.S., turned up at levels ranging from 134 parts per trillion to 865 parts per trillion in tilapia, chicken, turkey, beef, cod, salmon, shrimp, lamb, catfish and hot dogs.”

How to Avoid Toxic PFCs

To minimize your family’s exposure to toxic PFCs, avoid products that are stain-resistant, waterproof or nonstick, or that have been treated with flame retardant chemicals. The Environmental Working Group’s “Guide to Avoiding PFCS”³⁸ offers many helpful tips. Other suggestions that will help you avoid these dangerous chemicals include avoiding:

Items that have been pretreated with stain-repellants, and opt out of such treatments when buying new furniture and carpets.

Water- and/or stain-repellant clothing — One tipoff is when an item made with artificial fibers is described as “breathable.” These are typically treated with polytetrafluoroethylene, a synthetic fluoropolymer.

Items treated with flame retardant chemicals39 — This includes a wide variety of baby items, padded furniture, mattresses and pillows. Instead, opt for naturally less flammable materials such as leather, wool and cotton.

Fast food and carry out foods — The wrappers are typically treated with PFCs.

Microwave popcorn — PFCs not only may present in the inner coating of the bag, but they also may migrate to the oil from the packaging during heating. Instead, use “old-fashioned” stovetop popcorn.

Nonstick cookware and other treated kitchen utensils — Healthier options include ceramic and enameled cast iron cookware, both of which are durable, easy to clean and completely inert, which means they won’t release any harmful chemicals into your home.

Oral-B Glide floss and any other personal care products containing PTFE or “fluoro” or “perfluoro” ingredients — The EWG has an excellent database called Skin Deep40 you can peruse to find healthier options.

Unfiltered tap water — Unfortunately, your choices are limited when it comes to avoiding PFASs in drinking water. Either you must filter your water or obtain water from a clean source. Both solutions can be problematic and/or costly. While many opt for bottled water, it’s important to realize that PFASs are not regulated in bottled water, so there’s absolutely no guarantee that it’ll be free of these or other chemicals. Bottled water also increases your risk of exposure to hazardous plastic chemicals such as bisphenol-A, which has its own set of health risks. Most common water filters available in supermarkets will not remove PFASs. You really need a high-quality carbon filtration system. The New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute recommends using granulated activated carbon “or an equally efficient technology” to remove PFC chemicals such as PFOA and PFOS from your drinking water.41 Activated carbon has been shown to remove about 90% of these chemicals.

Live Longer by Lowering Your Biological Age

If you’re interested in living healthy for longer, minimizing toxic exposures is a crucial component, and the three toxins reviewed here — lead, mercury and PFOS — appear to have the greatest impact on biological aging. That said, other basic lifestyle factors such as diet cannot be overlooked.

As demonstrated in the featured study⁴² in The Journals of Gerontology, things like HbA1c also play an important role. High HbA1c is indicative of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, both of which take a tremendous toll on your health and longevity.

Insulin resistance is at the heart of most chronic disease, and once it transitions into full-blown diabetes, you open yourself up to a variety of complications, including an increased risk for heart disease and Alzheimer’s. So, in addition to avoiding toxic chemicals and heavy metals, you’ll also want to avoid foods high in sugar and synthetic chemicals.

This means ditching processed foods and most restaurant food for home cooked whole food, ideally organic. You can also optimize your insulin sensitivity through resistance training (blood flow restriction training being particularly effective) and time-restricted eating.

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Color is used to market products and services, including those which affect our health. It appears that the first color used in art drawings was red, derived from ochre.¹ The painting has been dated at 100,000 years old. Red often evokes feelings of strength, virility and fertility.

Blue seems to be the world's favorite color according to various surveys. It may be a result of the calming effect the color has. Students who were given IQ tests with blue color covers had results of a few points higher than those given with red covers.

Green is associated with the natural world but is also linked to envy, jealousy and illness. Purple was the first color in synthetic form when in 1856 a chemistry student did an experiment to cure malaria. The experiment failed but produced a permanent purple dye.

Color plays a large part in graphic design as it can help set a mood or drive a point home. Women have been using hair color to change their look for centuries. By the same token, food manufacturers have been using food dye to improve the visual presentation of processed foods in hopes of making them more visually appealing.

However, while color is a powerful means of presenting a product or changing emotions, when the dyes are not natural, the end result often does not have the positive experience you were seeking.

Dyes May Have a Negative Effect on Behavior

Is it safe to assume eating petroleum products has no effect on health and behavior? The FDA believes this is the case. Despite their own statement acknowledging there may be a link between behavioral issues and specific artificial dyes,² they continue to allow them in foods, medications and beverages.

Interestingly, certain colors are only allowed in specific foods, such as orange B, which is approved only for hot dogs and sausage casings. This also begs the question, why does the opaque casing of sausage need color?

Many children do not appear to be affected by the color dyes — but the operative word is "appear," since only those children whose parents have identified overt behavioral issues after consuming foods with color dyes have brought the issue to the forefront. The FDA exempts colors produced naturally from vegetables, minerals or animals from certification factors:

"These include the short and long-term effects of consumption, composition and properties, manufacturing process, stability, likely amount of consumption/exposure, and the availability of analytical methods for determining its purity and the amount in food."

One parent identified several long- and short-term "effects" from the dyes in her son, Alex Bevans. Bevans' mother spoke to KQED³ and recounted a time when he was 7 years old when she found him "shredding his clothes and scratching himself on his bed. "He looked at me and said, 'Please get me a knife. I want to kill myself. I don't want to live like this anymore.'"

She went on to explain the symptoms they have been able to correlate with the different colored dyes:

"So red ... he can't pay attention and he's impulsive. Green makes him manic. Blue makes him grumpy and tired. Yellow is the worst. He's explosive and it leads to suicidal ideation."

Bevans may have more symptoms than most, but Lisa Lefferts, scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says he is not alone. Although the organization has been slow to act in the past, they are currently lobbying the FDA to follow regulations similar to those used in Europe.⁴

"We've been contacted by over 2,000 families reporting their experiences with food dyes. The parents say that when their child is off of dyes they're just lovely children. On dyes they're like a completely different person."

Food Dyes Not Adequately Tested for Safety

Warning labels are applied to all foods using artificial colors in Europe. Most European companies choose to use natural colored dyes so they don't have to use a warning label related to chemical dyes. A few American companies are using this strategy but have found that natural, healthier dye is more expensive and not as stable on the shelf.

The FDA has approved nine colors made from petroleum, which are found in 90% of candies, fruit flavored snacks and drink mixes aimed at children. Joel Nigg, Ph.D., researcher from Oregon Health and Science University, finds past studies may show a cause and effect relationship between behavior changes and artificial dye if the data are taken at face value.

The American Academy of Pediatrics reversed a previous position and issued a policy statement in 2018 in which they said,⁵ "Artificial food colors may be associated with exacerbation of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms." Dr. Leonardo Trasande, involved in writing the AAP statement, said:⁶

"The AAP has concerns about the limited safety testing available on chemicals intentionally and unintentionally added to foods, including food dyes. There are safe and simple steps families can take to limit children's exposure to these chemicals."

Nigg believes more robust data are needed to make a delineation between behavior and artificial food dyes, but it is clear they are not benign. He went on to say,

"I think we'll be surprised in the future that we were so laissez-faire about adding so many synthetic chemicals and thinking they wouldn't do anything to children's brains."

Link Found Between Permanent Hair Dye and Breast Cancer

It is reasonable to assume that if artificial colors have an adverse effect on children, they will also have adverse effects in adults. Scientists who published a recent study in the International Journal of Cancer⁷ acknowledged many hair products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals and carcinogenic compounds that are potentially relevant to breast cancer.

The researchers used a national prospective cohort to look at any associations among the use of hair dyes, chemical relaxers and straighteners in relation to breast cancer risk, by ethnicity. Participants were engaged from the Sister Study, including 46,709 women ages 35 to 74 who had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer but were cancer free themselves.

When the participants were enrolled, 55% reported having used permanent hair dye, which was associated with a 45% higher risk of breast cancer in black women and a 7% higher risk in white women. In all participants, using hair straightener every five to eight weeks was associated with a 30% higher breast cancer risk.⁸

Nonprofessional application of semi-permanent dye or hair straightener on someone else also increased the risk of breast cancer. Dr. Otis Brawley, who served as executive vice president of the American Cancer Society from 2007 to 2018, was not surprised.

When speaking to Newsweek, he said: "Many of us have worried that the chemicals in especially the permanent hair dyes and hair straighteners have the potential to cause cancer."

Straighteners and Dyes Disproportionately Affect Groups

The disparity in risk potential between black and white women increased further to 60% in those who used hair dye heavily, defined as application once every five to eight weeks. By contrast, the same risk for white women using the same application rate rose from 7% to 8%.

When the researchers factored dye color, dark dye was linked with a 51% increase in black women and an 8% increased danger in white women. The same discrepancy existed in those who used light hair dye. Black women had a 46% increased risk for breast cancer, while white women had a 12% increased risk.

The racial variations may have been linked to the way the dye is used or the differences in the products marketed to different audiences. Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Newsweek that black women begin with an increased risk of breast cancer, making it difficult to draw a clear association between hair product use and cancer risk. She went on to say:⁹

"Having said that, I do believe the study gives us enough evidence to call for a prospective trial designed to specifically look at this one factor to see if the increased risk of cancer persists. In the meantime, I would caution patients that there is a possible link between hair dyes and cancer, although more research is needed."

Lifestyle Choices Affect Risk for Breast Cancer

There are several modifiable factors that may increase your risk of breast cancer, including being overweight or obese after menopause, taking hormones, drinking alcohol and being physically inactive.¹⁰ Factors you can't change are advancing age, personal and family history, genetic mutations and past radiation treatments.

As you might expect, diet can also help prevent and play an important role in the treatment of breast cancer. The nutritional approach with the strongest scientific support is time-restricted eating, which increases metabolic autophagy, lowers insulin resistance, radically increases metabolic flexibility and improves your mitochondrial function.

When exercise is added during the fasting window, these benefits increase. However, the vast majority have adapted to burning carbohydrates as a primary fuel as opposed to fat. One of the most effective strategies to become an effective fat burner is fasting 16 to 18 hours each day.

Since cancer is a metabolic disease rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, cancer cells require glucose for fuel and are unable to exist by burning fat. Cells must be healthy and normal to burn fat, so a high-fat, low-sugar diet will essentially starve cancer cells. See "What to Do if You Are Diagnosed With Breast Cancer," for further discussion on prevention and treatment options.

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You likely have heard that vaping is safe, or at least safer than smoking traditional combustible cigarettes. This myth may be easily perpetuated by the lack of offensive odor associated with traditional cigarettes. Currently, e-cigarettes are the most popular nicotine products used in high school and middle school.

Statistics reveal that since 2011, teenagers have been smoking less but vaping more. In early 2019 reports of lung damage linked to vaping began reaching experts. By August there were 193 recognized cases. This rose to 2,291 who were hospitalized and 48 who died by early December.¹ The latest numbers do not include those who became sick but were not hospitalized.

This is only one of several dangers now associated with vaping as researchers are identifying more toxins inhaled with each puff. Researchers have discovered that flavors in vape juice damage the cardiovascular system and deliver heavy metals. Additionally, the cartridges are testing positive for evidence of fungi. Exposure to fungi is associated with asthma and a reduction in lung function.

Other scientists have found that those who vape suffer from impaired activity of macrophages in the lungs, damaging vital immune cells. Regarding the most recent reports of lung damage, 80% said they vaped THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana).²

Diversity among the products reported by patients makes it highly unlikely one brand was responsible for the outbreak. Instead, federal and state scientists have discovered Vitamin E oil is a likely suspect. Regarding e-cigarettes and vaping, the CDC said,³ "Vitamin E acetate has been identified as a chemical of concern among people with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI)."

Insurance Companies Unwilling to Take Vaping Risk

Insurance companies use underwriters to evaluate the anticipated risk of insuring an individual or item. Underwriters help determine whether the company will profit from providing insurance. They determine the risk, which is used to determine a premium.

Reinsurance is a form of insurance purchased by insurance companies to mitigate their own risk.⁴ With the rising numbers of deaths and injuries related to vaping, reinsurers are warning life insurance companies to place pressure on the underwriters to charge higher rates for specific groups who vape; these rates may be higher than those for smokers. Companies may even deny insurance altogether.

Reinsurance companies use a body of research to inform their client model risk. They offer broad-based advice to insurance companies regarding certain topic areas rather than specific policies. However, if the insurance company does not take the advice of their reinsurance company, the reinsurer may refuse to provide reinsurance or raise their own premiums to the insurance company.

In the recent past, most insurance companies have looked at those who smoke and those who vaped as one and the same. Smokers and those who vape often could pay double the amount of premiums for life insurance policies as those who do not partake in either habit.

Currently, three major reinsurance companies are warning their clients about covering those who vape, while others are considering a new approach. Hannover Re has asked their clients to be cautious about insuring young adults under age 25 due to the large number of lung injuries.

Some Insurance Companies Consider Pulling Out

Other companies are questioning whether or not coverage should even be offered for this high risk group. The French reinsurer SCOR recommends their clients exclude people who vape products that U.S. authorities believe will trigger lung conditions. They name these products as those containing THC, while ignoring the more likely suspect of lung damage — vitamin E acetate.

Reuters contacted 13 life insurance companies in Europe, South Africa and the U.S.; 12 said premiums for those who vape are the same as those who smoke. To highlight the cost difference, Justin Harper, head of protection marketing of a British insurer, shared estimated premiums.

For a 35-year-old, a 20-year policy that would pay out $128,300 (£100,000) for life insurance coverage and the same for critical illness, the individual would pay $15.62 (£11.89) per month if they don't smoke or vape and $27.01 (£20.56) per month if they do.

While lifestyle choices have always been associated with risk assessment for insurance companies, this current trend may start the industry down a slippery slope since it appears that choices may cause a company to begin to refuse coverage.

As life insurance companies grapple with the risks of vaping, it may not be long before health insurance companies question the affordability of covering a rising number who spend weeks hospitalized in the ICU and months recovering.

Juul Labs Purposefully Sold Contaminated Products

Adding insult to injury, a recent lawsuit brought by Siddharth Breja, past senior vice president for global finance for Juul Labs, alleges that the company sold at least 1 million polluted mint flavored nicotine pods past the expiration date.

The former employee claims Juul would not recall the defective products and he was told to charge the supplier $7 million to recover the cost of the contaminated batches. Breja alleges he was fired in retaliation for criticizing the sale. The lawsuit did not reveal the type of contamination within the nicotine pods but, according to The New York Times,

"Mr. Breja detailed a culture of indifference to safety and quality-control issues among top executives at the company and quoted the then-chief executive Kevin Burns saying at a meeting in February: 'Half our customers are drunk and vaping' and wouldnʼt 'notice the quality of our pods.'"

Juul denied firing Breja in retaliation for his comments and said they regarded the product safety charges as meritless. However, these allegations are increasing the spotlight on a company named in at least 50 lawsuits and under investigation by the FDA, Federal Trade Commission, five state attorneys general and several congressional committees.

The popularity of vaping has been attributed to slick marketing campaigns that appear to be aimed at those under 18 years. Unfortunately, young people are continuing to show up in emergency rooms with symptoms of EVALI; some require mechanical ventilation for weeks.

Addiction Raises Risks of Other Addictive Behaviors

As the number of teens who become addicted to vaping increase precipitously, the risk of using highly addictive JuulSalts becomes more apparent. The company has positioned itself as a "genuine alternative to cigarettes" delivering a "nicotine hit that is much more like smoking a cigarette than other e-cigs."

JuulSalts makes nicotine delivery less harsh to inhale and readily absorbed directly through the mucous membranes in your mouth. The nicotine is easier for the body to access and the cartridges contain up to twice the amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. This combination increases the addictive nature of the product.

Researchers have found high school seniors who had never smoked traditional cigarettes and who vape are four times more likely to pick up a cigarette in the following year. In animal studies, early addiction to nicotine has been associated with increased risks for future addictive behaviors.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found rats exposed to nicotine during adolescence grew up to drink more alcohol than those who were not exposed. It appeared to change the neurological circuitry in the brain within the reward center, which potentially explains how exposure at a younger age can increase the potential for addictive behavior later in life.

Teen Vaping Rises Precipitously but No Treatment Available

Unfortunately, teens have no place to turn for treatment options. Federal law prohibits the sale of devices to those under 18, yet many high school students report getting them from older students, purchasing them online or obtaining them from siblings.

The rapid rise in addicted youth appears to have taken many by surprise; to date there has been little discussion about how to treat nicotine addiction in young children. The harshness of inhaling cigarette smoke has sometimes discouraged teenagers from the habit but this deterrent does not exist with vaping.

The current medications on the market for nicotine withdrawal are not approved for use in children or young teens, which leaves them without a medical option to kick the habit. Until other options are available, it's important that parents and teens recognize quitting a nicotine habit requires patience, discipline and a willingness to follow a treatment plan.

These strategies are not easily accepted by teenagers who are not fully cognitively developed, which may make addiction treatment more difficult for teens and their parents. Dr. Susanne Tanski, a tobacco prevention expert with the American Academy of Pediatrics, commented:⁵

"Teenagers have their own ideas of what might work for them, and they're going to do what they do. But we desperately need studies to figure out what's going to work with this population.

It's frightening for me as a pediatrician because I really feel like there's this uncontrolled experiment happening with our young people. They don't perceive the harm, and we can't show them what it's going to be."

Recognize the Risk

The industry claims vaping is a short-term solution to quitting traditional cigarettes but marketing campaigns have been squarely aimed at children and young adults, many of whom never smoked traditional cigarettes.

Vaping delivers an appalling amount of heavy metals and toxic chemicals, including diacetyl, formaldehyde, diethylene glycol, tobacco-specific nitrosamines and highly reactive free radicals. In one study, scientists found e-cigarette flavors may induce early signs of cardiovascular disease leading to heart attack, stroke and death.

Changes appear almost immediately at the cellular level and vapor from e-cigarettes boost production of inflammatory chemicals and impaired macrophages. This leads researchers to conclude it damages vital immune system cells.

This type of damage increases the vulnerability of lung cells to dust, bacteria and allergens, which increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dr. Deepa Camenga, who is board certified in pediatrics and addiction medicine, recommends you talk to your children early on about e-cigarettes:

"When you are out and about with your children and see an advertisement, for example, take the opportunity to talk about it. It's also important to give teens and young adults the space to ask questions."

Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Ph.D., is co-leader of the Yale Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science. She recommends parents do not purchase e-cigs under the misconception they may prevent their children from smoking traditional cigarettes, and says:

"I think the problem is that parents lose credibility if they say something to try and convince their child, who then finds out that it isn't true. Parents should base their information on accurate facts and also encourage their children to read about and understand the science on this issue instead of relying on what their friends and peers tell them."

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The Married at First Sight star has some stern words of advice for anyone wanting to comment on her 6kg weight gain. 

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It's been long been believed that different personalities align better with different jobs. Large-scale evidence now exists of the distinctive personality profiles that occur across occupations and how, using social media, they can be matched to an individual for the near-perfect fit.

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One of the potentially life-altering side effects that patients experience after cranial radiotherapy for brain cancer is cognitive impairment. Researchers now believe that they have pinpointed why this occurs and these findings could point the way for new therapies to protect the brain from the damage caused by radiation.

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Any economic and conservation benefits associated with time-of-use electricity billing could be achieved at the expense of some of the most vulnerable citizens in our society: people with disabilities and the elderly, new research suggests.

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If you disagree with someone, it might not make any difference how certain they say they are, as during disagreement your brain's sensitivity to the strength of people's beliefs is reduced, finds a study led by UCL and City, University of London and published in Nature Neuroscience.

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“Do you have grandchildren?” This seems like a simple question and one appropriate to ask women and men of a certain age. However, for those who are grandparents-in-waiting this question can bring layers of pain, fear, and challenge. These feelings are all the more powerful for grandparents-in-waiting who themselves experienced infertility years earlier, but they can wallop anyone whose child is struggling to have a child.

I’ll begin by defining “grandparents-in-waiting.” I use this to refer to people — usually in their 60s and 70s — who have adult children dealing with infertility or repeated pregnancy loss. Grandparents-in-waiting include those who already have grandchildren from their other adult children, and grandparents-in-waiting who have no grandchildren. There are also grandparents-in-waiting who face the dual challenge, or mixed blessing, of having a grandchild on the way through one daughter or son while another adult child grapples with infertility.

Feelings that may arise for grandparents-in-waiting

If you are a grandparent-in-waiting, here are a few of the feelings you might be experiencing or can anticipate.

Helplessness. There is a saying common among parents, “You are only as happy as your least happy child.” Whether one has zero grandchildren or 10, it is painful to see one’s child struggling to have a baby. You may be surprised to find yourself coping with your helplessness and lack of control by avoiding your friends. After all, many of them are grandparents, and being with them risks opening yourself up to news of new pregnancies or chatter about grandchildren.

Anger. By the time you reach your 60s or 70s, you’ve learned all too well that life is unfair. That said, it is hard to get away from the feeling that it is all so unfair. Pregnant women seem ubiquitous when your child is longing to be pregnant. If you are a veteran of your own infertility, you will recognize the nasty and harsh feelings that can arise toward pregnant women. If you had your own child or children with ease, these feelings can be unsettling. Grandparents-in-waiting need to know that angry, resentful feelings toward pregnancies — and even toward their friends’ grandchildren — don’t mean that they are turning into bad people.

Sadness. Having a child go through infertility, or suffer pregnancy loss, is a double sadness. You are sad for your child and you are sad for yourself, all the more so if you have no grandchildren. It is hard not to look around and feel that grandparenthood is a lottery. Some people have one child and wind up with four grandchildren. Others have four children and just one grandchild who lives thousands of miles away.

Rising to the challenge as a grandparent-in-waiting

Perhaps the biggest challenge for a grandparent-in-waiting is to deal with your own feelings without making things any more difficult for your child. Here are some guidelines for dealing with your daughter, daughter-in-law, or son during infertility.

• Let them control communication. Some adult children want to share their infertility struggles with their parents; some do not. If your child seeks privacy, respect that. Let them know that you are there if something changes and they want to talk.
  If your child is open with you, talk with them about what helps and what does not. For example, they may want to fill you in on what is happening, but be upset if you offer advice or try to “help” more actively. An open discussion can help you avoid feeling like you are walking on eggshells.
• Avoid any hint of blame. Regret is often the most painful part of infertility. Be aware that your child may blame herself or himself for “waiting too long,” “having other priorities,” or perhaps choosing the “wrong” doctor. Be there to listen but do all you can to avoid contributing to self-blame.
• Communicate acceptance. While grappling with infertility, people begin to think about other options such as adoption, egg donation, and surrogacy. If your child is beginning to consider “option B,” she or he will be sensitive to your reaction. It will mean a lot to your child to know that you will welcome and adore a grandchild regardless of how that child joins the family. That said, you need to be careful not to inadvertently communicate pessimism regarding current treatment. Your daughter or son could perceive your embrace of adoption or egg donation as evidence that you don’t think that their efforts on their own, or with IVF, will work.
• Be the parent. Your daughter may be super successful in her career, but right now she is your child and she needs you. Whether she communicates it or not, it means the world to her to know she can lean on you. By being the parent and doing your best parenting thing, you will let her know that you are there for her and that you are okay with your wait to be her child’s grandparent. She needs to feel that you are not suffering. Or perhaps more accurately, she needs to know that you can push your own pain firmly aside because your priority is to help diminish hers.

It is not easy to be a grandparent-in-waiting. Aging teaches all of us that life is short. Your wait for a grandchild is all the more difficult when you feel that you are losing precious time. There is no way to explain away or sugar-coat the loss of time. Still, I hope you are comforted to know that being able to be there for your child at this difficult time is a gift and a blessing.

The post Infertility: Grandparents in waiting appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

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