Podcasts about Environmental Working Group

Discover the truth behind nutrition myths, intuitive eating, whole foods, sugar cravings, and simple strategies for healthier, sustainable eating. Carrots are bad. Avocados are bad. Don't eat egg yolks. Eat every two hours. Go gluten free. Detox with tea. As long as you stay under your calories, you're fine. Every single one of those is wrong. And Dr. Terri and Elizabeth DiMeo are done watching people make themselves miserable following food advice from people who have no business giving it. In this episode they go myth by myth through the top ten dietary rules that need to be retired — and replace each one with what the science actually says. From why a calorie is absolutely not a calorie, to why your gluten sensitivity may disappear entirely when you travel to Italy, to why organic crackers are still just crackers — this is the food conversation your patients, your family, and your social media feed desperately need. They close with a practical breakdown of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 — the Environmental Working Group's ranked list of which produce you should always buy organic and which ones you don't need to worry about — plus a simple baking soda and vinegar wash that removes pesticide residue from non-organic produce when organic isn't in the budget. Simple. Practical. No nonsense. This is what intuitive eating actually means. What you'll discover: Why a 230-calorie Snickers bar and a 230-calorie serving of broccoli are not remotely the same thing — and what "food is communication" actually means [03:20] Why fat doesn't make you fat — and what actually does [06:01] The difference between starchy and non-starchy carbohydrates — and why broccoli, arugula, and artichokes are all technically carbs [08:22] Why gluten sensitivity in the US may have nothing to do with gluten — and everything to do with glyphosate and hybridized wheat [13:36] Why skipping meals slows your metabolism — and what your body actually needs to detox every single day [17:45] The myth of eating every two to three hours — and what 100 years of human eating patterns tell us about snacking [19:59] Why organic automatically means healthy is one of the most dangerous myths in the grocery store [25:16] Why all inflammation does not come from food — and the overlooked sources most people never address [25:43] The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15: which produce to always buy organic, which ones you don't need to, and the $0 baking soda wash that removes pesticide residue [27:32] Real food. Not too much. Mostly plants. The rest is noise. The Dr. Terri Show is presented by EVEXIAS Health Solutions.Learn more and find a provider near you at evexias.com Connect with Dr. Terri:

Major updates could soon be landing on your grocery store shelves. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently unveiled two sweeping policy proposals: establishing a formal definition for ultra-processed foods and requiring food manufacturers to disclose every chemical added to their products.Earlier this week, FOX News Rundown host Jessica Rosenthal spoke with HHS Senior Advisor and author Calley Means about what these proposals mean for consumers, and why he believes Americans have been "poisoned at scale" for decades.Scott Faber, Senior Vice President at the Environmental Working Group, also spoke to the Rundown about the changes and why he calls them a good step—but explains why he believes more needs to be done to get harmful chemicals out of our food.We often have to cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full conversations.Today on the FOX News Rundown Extra, we share our entire interviews with both Calley Means and Scott Faber, giving you a deeper look into what they say is dangerous about the food in our grocery stores and what can be done to make it better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major updates could soon be landing on your grocery store shelves. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently unveiled two sweeping policy proposals: establishing a formal definition for ultra-processed foods and requiring food manufacturers to disclose every chemical added to their products.Earlier this week, FOX News Rundown host Jessica Rosenthal spoke with HHS Senior Advisor and author Calley Means about what these proposals mean for consumers, and why he believes Americans have been "poisoned at scale" for decades.Scott Faber, Senior Vice President at the Environmental Working Group, also spoke to the Rundown about the changes and why he calls them a good step—but explains why he believes more needs to be done to get harmful chemicals out of our food.We often have to cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full conversations.Today on the FOX News Rundown Extra, we share our entire interviews with both Calley Means and Scott Faber, giving you a deeper look into what they say is dangerous about the food in our grocery stores and what can be done to make it better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last few decades have seen a continuing rise in really serious and often fatal health problems. The list is long: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, infertility, autoimmune diseases, and autism, just to name a few. While vulnerability to disease often has an underlying genetic predisposition, there have to be environmental triggers to set these diseases in motion. In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Aly Cohen discuss just these topics and what we can look for on a daily basis, as well as the small changes that we can, individually, do to make our lives a little healthier.     Key Takeaways: It's estimated there are about 95,000 chemicals available on the US market for everything we use from cleaning products, makeup, and everything we use. The US has only banned 5 chemicals since 1976. European countries have banned around 1200, on average. There are resources out there to help you to vet the products you are using in your life, such as The Environmental Working Group and Skin Deep Database.   "The goal is less is more - use fewer products, the products that you use, if you want to use them, just vet them." —  Dr. Aly Cohen   Connect with Dr. Aly Cohen: Website: https://thesmarthuman.com/  TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSCeP0hyuTI  Show: https://thesmarthuman.com/podcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSmartHuman  Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574591840716 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb6NhglVIu6ruM19QNhpJDw  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aly-cohen-md-facr-0b570749/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmarthuman/  Book: https://thesmarthuman.com/dr-aly-cohen-and-dr-fred-vom-saals-new-book-available-now/    Connect with Therese: Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

This week, Tee is joined by Kristal Godin, a Women's Health & Hormone Coach, certified Naturotherapist, Menstrual Cycle Educator, and founder of the Happy Hormone Collective, a supportive space where women learn how to care for their bodies in a way that feels sustainable, nourishing, and aligned. After navigating her own journey with chronic stress and an autoimmune condition, Kristal discovered that true healing wasn't about restriction or perfection but about understanding the body, supporting it with intention, and working with it instead of against it. In this episode, Kristal explains why symptoms like chronic fatigue, PMS, poor sleep, mood swings, and brain fog should never be dismissed as "normal." She shares how stress hormones and blood sugar regulation create the foundation for healthy hormones and discusses practical ways to support cortisol, insulin, thyroid function, and overall endocrine health. Tee and Kristal also explore how chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal birth control, and modern lifestyles can quietly disrupt hormone balance while emphasizing the importance of addressing root causes instead of simply masking symptoms. The conversation also dives into one of Tee's favorite topics, environmental toxins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals hiding in everyday products. Kristal explains how fragrances, plastics, cosmetics, cleaning products, and personal care items can interfere with the body's hormonal communication system and offers simple, affordable swaps that anyone can begin making today. Together, they discuss reading ingredient labels, avoiding greenwashing, using helpful resources like Yuka and the Environmental Working Group, and why progress, not perfection, is the key to reducing toxic load. Whether you're struggling with hormone imbalances, looking to improve your energy and sleep, or simply wanting to make healthier choices for yourself and your family, this episode provides practical strategies you can begin implementing immediately. Connect with Kristal & The Happy Hormone Collective:  Website Join the Happy Hormone Collective Instagram Facebook Free Hormone Help Quiz   Follow Therese "Tee" Forton-Barnes and The Green Living Gurus: Austin Air Purifiers: For podcast listeners, take 15% off any Austin Air product; please email Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com and mention that you want to buy a product and would like the discount. See all products here: Austin Air   The Green Living Gurus' Website  Instagram YouTube Facebook Healthy Living Group on Facebook   Tip the podcaster! Support Tee and the endless information that she provides: Patreon Venmo: @Therese-Forton-Barnes last four digits of her cell are 8868 For further info, contact Tee: Email: Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com Cell: 716-868-8868 DISCLAIMER: ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IS GENERAL GUIDANCE AND NOT MEANT TO BE USED FOR INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER OR DOCTOR FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. Produced By: Social Chameleon

>p>Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 7-30-2026: A type of coffee brewed from beans that have been altered by passage through the digestive track of civet cats is a delicacy in Southeast Asia. A Scientific Reports paper using gas chromatography analyzed Kopi Luwak (civet-processed coffee beans) versus fresh-picked beans, finding elevated caprylic and capric acids that carry the characteristic flavor notes found in dairy products. Dr. Manuel Esteller sampled and tested the blood, saliva, urine, and stool of the oldest human Maria Branyas Morera, who died last year at 117. Despite exceptionally short telomeres, she carried anti-inflammatory genetic variants seen in long-lived dogs, worms, and flies, and had unusually high Bifidobacterium levels—likely boosted by her three-daily-servings-of-yogurt habit. Dr. Dawn defends sunscreen use against Environmental Working Group scare campaigns, noting that concerns about absorption of sunscreen ingredients into blood remain theoretical while sunburn's melanoma link is well-established. She argues that a badly sunburned toddler starts a clock that can produce melanoma by the late teens. The FDA advisory committee is reviewing certain short amino acid chains popularly known as "peptides" for potential compounding-pharmacy production, covering proposed to treat ulcerative colitis, wound healing, insomnia, insulin resistance, migraines, and osteoporosis. Dr. Dawn flags that five to seven committee members have industry conflicts of interest, but argues that even flawed approval is preferable to the current gray market, where analysis shows vials contain only 4-28% of labeled content along with endotoxin and toluene contamination. She proposes surveillance tracking of prescribed peptides to catch adverse effects early, citing a foreign melanocortin nasal spray tanning product that caused rare nasal melanomas as a cautionary example. Utah State biochemists working with the Cas12a2 CRISPR enzyme discovered that instead of behaving as a precise gene-editor like Cas9, it goes into an indiscriminate DNA-shredding mode after recognizing its target RNA. By programming it to recognize RNA sequences uniquely activated in cancer cells (embryonic-development genes that shouldn't be running in adults), researchers destroyed only the cancer cells in tissue culture, potentially offering a way to eliminate small metastases without healthy tissue toxicity. Cancer patients who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy showed dramatically improved outcomes, with median survival in advanced lung cancer rising from 20 to 37 months. Non-mRNA vaccines (flu, pneumonia) showed no such benefit. Lab work suggests the mRNA triggers type-1 interferon release that activates tumor-infiltrating immune cells and drives them to lymph nodes to train other immune cells against the tumor. Researchers redesigned a CD40 agonist antibody to bind multiple receptors simultaneously by clustering with a second antibody, stretching the cell surface and triggering a powerful immune response. In a 12-patient trial, injecting one tumor caused all tumors to shrink in six patients and produced complete remission in two—including a melanoma patient with dozens of leg tumors and a metastatic breast cancer patient whose lung and liver tumors resolved after skin injection. Two small trials of CAR natural killer cells—engineered like CAR T-cells but derived from donor umbilical cord blood and thus potentially available off-the-shelf—showed remarkable results in autoimmune disease. All 27 systemic lupus patients targeting the CD19 protein on autoantibody-producing cells showed improvement, with some remaining in remission at nearly two years. A single Shanghai patient with systemic sclerosis showed restoration of normal skin and blood vessel structure. A paradox has emerged in advanced prostate cancer: while blocking testosterone halts early tumor growth, cancer cells eventually adapt to low-androgen conditions such that flooding tissues with testosterone in advanced disease can actually halt tumor progression by triggering cellular redifferentiation. Separately, Dr. Dawn reviews conflicting evidence on Parkinson's risk from androgen deprivation therapy, singling out enzalutamide (Xtandi) as the most concerning drug due to blood-brain barrier penetration, and recommending darolutamide as the safest alternative with matching prostate efficacy but minimal CNS entry.

Dan Sonke joins the Journey from The Almond Conference 2025 in Sacramento to discuss sustainability programs and their impact on consumer perception and farming economics. At that time of this interview, Sonke was the head of sustainability programs at Blue Diamond Growers where he was responsible for building and leading enterprise sustainability strategy, reporting, and governance. Sonke also led development of one of the world's largest farmer datasets through the California Almond Stewardship Platform (CASP), and serves as the current chair of the Almond Board of California's Environmental Stewardship Working Group.“We have an amazing, science-backed story for our customers around the world. When they buy almonds from California, they're buying something that's not only a healthy product, but has a high degree of environmental protection associated with it.” - Dan SonkeIn Today's episode: Meet Dan Sonke, chair of the Almond Board of California's Environmental Working Group and almond industry leader in sustainabilityDiscover how Sonke has pursued a career in developing and executing agriculture sustainability across multiple industriesExplore the creation and intention of the California Almond Stewardship PlatformThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

This week, Tee is joined by Lauren Less, wellness advocate, chronic illness educator, and founder of Less With Laur, for an inspiring conversation about how simple, sustainable lifestyle changes can dramatically improve your health. After years of unexplained fatigue, digestive issues, food allergies, mold exposure, Lyme disease, and multiple chronic health diagnoses, Lauren was forced to become her own health advocate. Through extensive research and guidance from integrative medicine practitioners, she transformed her health and now helps others reduce their toxic load without the fear, guilt, or overwhelm that often accompanies the wellness space. In this episode, Lauren shares her personal journey from chronic illness to wellness and explains why reducing everyday chemical exposure can play an important role in supporting the body's natural healing processes. She discusses the concept of the "toxin bucket," how environmental exposures, poor gut health, food sensitivities, and chronic inflammation can compound over time, and why addressing the root causes of illness often requires looking beyond symptom management. Tee and Lauren also explore the differences between conventional and functional medicine, highlighting the importance of personalized care, nervous system regulation, and building healthier habits that are realistic for everyday life. The conversation also provides practical, budget-friendly strategies for creating a healthier home without replacing everything overnight. Lauren explains why cookware, food storage containers, air quality, water filtration, and household cleaning products are some of the best places to begin making healthier swaps. She discusses organic food, the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list, avoiding greenwashing, reading ingredient labels, and using tools like Think Dirty and Yuka to make informed purchasing decisions. Throughout the episode, Lauren emphasizes that progress—not perfection—is the key to long-term wellness and reminds listeners that every healthier choice helps reduce the body's overall toxic burden. Whether you're managing a chronic illness, supporting your family's health, or simply looking for practical ways to live a cleaner lifestyle, this episode offers approachable advice you can begin implementing today. Connect with Lauren:  Website Instagram TikTok  Substack  Sunday Swaps Emails Every Sunday   Follow Therese "Tee" Forton-Barnes and The Green Living Gurus: Austin Air Purifiers: For podcast listeners, take 15% off any Austin Air product; please email Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com and mention that you want to buy a product and would like the discount. See all products here: Austin Air   The Green Living Gurus' Website  Instagram YouTube Facebook Healthy Living Group on Facebook   Tip the podcaster! Support Tee and the endless information that she provides: Patreon Venmo: @Therese-Forton-Barnes last four digits of her cell are 8868 For further info, contact Tee: Email: Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com Cell: 716-868-8868   DISCLAIMER: ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IS GENERAL GUIDANCE AND NOT MEANT TO BE USED FOR INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER OR DOCTOR FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. Produced By: Social Chameleon

A report from the Environmental Working Group claims thousands of feeding operations are off the DNR's radar. A representative with the Iowa Pork Producers Association says the DNR is following state law. Host Ben Kieffer speaks with the co-author of this report, Anne Schechinger, about how mapping animal operations relates to water quality issues, and Pork Association legal counsel Eldon McAfee shares what he thinks the report gets wrong. Then, Kieffer speaks with the recipient of the "Nobel Prize for statistics," University of Iowa professor emeritus Luke Tierney.

Today on Beating Cancer Daily, Saranne welcomes Jacqui Bryan for a berry-packed conversation about the nutritional power and cancer-fighting benefits of berries. Jacqui sheds light on polyphenols, flavonoids, and other compounds that make blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, goji, acai, and elderberries stand out for anyone in treatment, survivorship, or seeking to lower inflammation and oxidative stress. The discussion takes listeners through practical strategies for choosing, preparing, and safely washing berries, as well as important cautions for those on certain medications or with conditions such as kidney stones. This episode is full of colorful insights and actionable tips; Saranne and Jacqui even find time for a few berry puns along the way! Jacqui Bryan is a certified nutrition specialist, functional medicine expert, whole health educator, and certified health coach. With decades of cancer survivorship herself, Jacqui brings firsthand experience and a deep clinical understanding of how nutrition can impact cancer outcomes. Her expertise spans dietary strategies for reducing inflammation, promoting gut health, and integrating superfoods into daily routines. "Cancer development is closely linked to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress... Berries, with their extraordinary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, are among the most studied superfoods for interrupting that process." ~Jacqui Bryan Today on Beating Cancer Daily:·     Berry nutrients like polyphenols and anthocyanins support brain health, cardiovascular function, and blood sugar regulation.·     Strawberries deliver a powerful dose of vitamin C and help with inflammation but are often on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list for pesticides.·     Raspberries and blackberries are high in fiber and great for gut health, but those prone to kidney stones should moderate their intake due to their high oxalate content.·     Cranberries and elderberries offer unique benefits for urinary tract and immune health yet require caution if you have kidney issues or take blood thinners.·     Proper berry washing methods, such as vinegar or baking soda soaks, can significantly reduce pesticides and prolong freshness.·     Not all cleaning removes systemic pesticides; buying organic is recommended, especially for berries on the Dirty Dozen list.·     Whole berry consumption is encouraged during cancer treatment for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects but always discuss supplements with your medical team.·     Berries are being researched as chemosensitizers: compounds that may make cancer cells more responsive to treatment while protecting healthy cells. 2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards Best Health Series FinalistRanked the Top 5 Best Cancer Podcasts by CancerCare News in 2024 & 2025,and #1 Rated Cancer Survivor Podcast by FeedSpot in 2024 to 2025. Beating Cancer Daily is listened to in 148 countries across 7 continents and features over 420+ original daily episodes hosted by Stage IV survivor Saranne Rothberg. To learn more about Host Saranne Rothberg and The ComedyCures Foundation:https://www.comedycures.org/ To write to Saranne or a guest:https://www.comedycures.org/contact-8 To record a message to Saranne or a guest:https://www.speakpipe.com/BCD_Comments_Suggestions To sign up for the free Health Builder Series live on Zoom with Saranne and Jacqui, go to The ComedyCures Foundation's homepage:https://www.comedycures.org/ Please support the creation of more original episodes of Beating Cancer Daily and other free ComedyCures Foundation programs with a tax-deductible contribution:http://bit.ly/ComedyCuresDonate THANK YOU! Please tell a friend whom we may help, and please support us with a beautiful review. Have a blessed day! Saranne

Kristin Fracassi, founder & CEO of Root & Splendor, and Alecia Nelson, the COO, share the origin story of a premium non-toxic laundry detergent and stain remover - developed by a mom of four who went down a rabbit hole on natural product ingredients and didn't like what she found. Kristin talks about working with formulation chemists and enzyme scientists, the moment when lab results confirmed her product matched the efficacy of big-name brands, and why full ingredient transparency is a non-negotiable for the brand. Alecia shares what it's like to join a brand she watched grow from the dream stage, and what's on the horizon with a new kitchen product line built to the same uncompromising standards. They wrap up by reflecting on how Naturally Network has opened door after door after door.Takeaways:Root & Splendor makes premium, fully non-toxic laundry detergent and stain remover formulated with 100% plant-based ingredients, scented with natural essential oils, and priced at about 33 cents per load.Kristin started the brand as a mom and homesteader, not an entrepreneur, after discovering that many "natural" products still contain harmful ingredientsRoot & Splendor is one of only a few laundry brands to achieve EWG Verified status, a third-party certification from the Environmental Working Group.Five years of R&D with formulation chemists and enzyme scientists resulted in a product that matches the efficacy of major conventional brands without any harmful ingredients.Their packaging delivers an 800% reduction in carbon footprint compared to conventional alternatives.Full ingredient transparency is a core brand commitment with every ingredient is listed on the package along with an explanation of what it does.Kristin describes conscious business as a daily choice because every day brings opportunities to cut corners.Root & Splendor is now expanding into a kitchen product line, holding to the same standards of plant-based formulation, premium efficacy, and sustainable packaging.The brand continues to grow organically through word of mouth from customers who try the product and tell their friends.Winning the Naturally San Diego Pitch Slam was a turning point for the brand, opening doors to other pitch slams, awards, and a deeply supportive network of industry peers.Sound Bites:"I was willing to sacrifice efficacy for safety, and then I did a deep dive into the ingredients and learned that a lot of natural ingredients are still not safe.""We formulate for safety and efficacy. Every ingredient is safe for people, pets, the environment, and fabrics.""I had no intention of starting a business, but once I realized we had something truly different, I wanted to bring it to everyone.""There are a million ways to cut corners as a business owner. Every day I choose to stay true to our values and our standards.""The consumer is really smart. They're educated. They know what they're looking for. The greenwashing in this space, it's pretty wild.""There's no reason to sacrifice safety or efficacy. You can have both.""This wasn't developed in a boardroom. This was developed by women, for women.""Don't ever give up on a stain."Links:Alecia Nelson LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecialnelson/Kristin Fracassi LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinfracassirootandsplendor/Root & Splendor Website - https://rootandsplendor.com/Root & Splendor LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/root-and-splendor/people/Root & Splendor on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rootandsplendorRoot & Splendor on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rootandsplendor…Naturally Network: www.naturallynetwork.org…Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio…The Food Institute - https://foodinstitute.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I didn't know too much about the impressive Johanna Hellrigl before this conversation — a friend suggested I interview her and I intuitively said yes on the spot. And I'm so glad I did! Johanna is the chef and founder behind Ama, an award-winning Northern Italian restaurant in Washington, D.C., and a board member of the Environmental Working Group who is revolutionizing what it means to nourish people — from the way she sources whole ingredients to how she cares for her team to the deeper intention behind every decision she makes. She is building a model of hospitality where indulgence, vitality, sustainability, and community coexist — proving restaurants can drive cultural and systemic change. This woman is doing the work, and you can feel it. Johanna's personal story also really moved me. As a chef, entrepreneur and mother, Johanna shares parts of her life that shaped the way she sees health, intuition, and what it means to truly take care of yourself in a world that can feel overwhelming and confusing. It's a powerful reminder of how much we're capable of when we start to question, listen, and trust ourselves more deeply. Many of us are aware of how to avoid toxins in and around our food at home, but I'll admit eating out was more of a blind spot for me. We get into the hidden plastic crisis lurking in restaurant kitchens, the truth about what's really in your pasta and why it hits so differently in Europe, the seed oil conversation with actual nuance, food waste, and so. much. more. Johanna shares practical swaps you can make today in your own kitchen to reduce your toxic load — no overwhelm, just empowered steps forward. We really covered it all! I left this conversation feeling inspired, grounded, and confident that our bodies are incredibly intelligent — and when we start to listen, everything begins to shift. Key Moments You'll Love ✨ :

In this episode of the Hormone Genius Podcast, the hosts sit down with Dr. Marina Suri, an OB-GYN with more than 30 years of experience in restorative reproductive medicine and women's health. Together, they explore a refreshing and hopeful perspective on fertility, longevity, and what women can do naturally to support their hormone health and reproductive lifespan. Dr. Marina introduces the idea of “biological age” versus chronological age. While we cannot stop time, she explains that the health of our bodies is deeply influenced by lifestyle choices. The same habits that support longevity. The conversation dives into practical, foundational approaches that often get overlooked in conventional medicine. Rather than focusing first on expensive biohacking trends, Dr. Marina encourages women to start simple: eat whole foods, reduce ultra-processed foods and sugar, move the body regularly, and prioritize nutrient sufficiency. She shares how deficiencies in nutrients like vitamin D, B12, magnesium, and omega-3s are incredibly common in her patients and can significantly impact hormone health and fertility. The hosts also discuss the overwhelming amount of health information women encounter online today. Dr. Marina reminds listeners that the basics matter most. A Mediterranean-style diet, reducing inflammatory foods, regular exercise, and stress management are still some of the most evidence-based ways to improve fertility and overall wellness. Another major topic of the episode is low-dose naltrexone (LDN), a therapy gaining attention in restorative reproductive medicine.More recently, she has seen promising use in fertility support, particularly for women with inflammatory conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS. She discusses both the potential benefits and considerations of using LDN, including common side effects like vivid dreams and sleep changes. The discussion also highlights the growing concern surrounding endocrine-disrupting chemicals in modern life. From plastics and water contaminants to personal care products and cleaning supplies, Dr. Marina explains how environmental toxins may be impacting fertility, hormone balance, and even sperm counts. She shares practical ways women can reduce exposure without becoming fearful, including using water filters, cleaner products, and tools like the Environmental Working Group's Healthy Living App. The episode closes with a beautiful reflection on body literacy and the importance of women understanding their cycles and hormones. Dr. Marina encourages women not to take fertility for granted and to become more in tune with the natural rhythms of their bodies. Her mission is simple but powerful: to help women understand that they are not powerless when it comes to their health and fertility. This episode is packed with practical wisdom, encouragement, and empowering reminders that small lifestyle changes can truly transform hormone health, fertility, and long-term wellness. Interested in being a Podcast Sponsor with THE HORMONE GENIUS? Check out these links next to get more detailson our SPONSORSHIP VISION! PODCAST PARTNER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdffY6WpATSUZfVtaQDlgCH1TDvvR5o3u-1G_sxUzQ0iRgHqg/viewform MONTHLY SPONSOR: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBmq62f7FcAs6aGqD_2wrHyWlXRm66bhzvqF2M1Pal5nkGyA/viewform BRAND PARTNER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBu46XqvMbmi8dqt8LBzUE0r22Gj39Ou9tbXSeN6d8-G5qaA/viewform We love partnering with brands that align with our mission of empowering women through hormone education and whole-body health. Visit WeHeartNutrition.com and use code GENIUS for 20% off your first order. The information shared on the Hormone Genius Podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast hosts or sponsors.

What's actually in your food, and who's protecting the companies that put it there?I sit down with Johanna Hellrigl, chef, restaurateur, board member of the Environmental Working Group, and founder of Ama, the mission-driven Northern Italian restaurant four blocks from the US Capitol, to talk about what's really happening in our food system, why your cookware matters as much as your ingredients, and how a woman who grew up in a Michelin-quality kitchen ended up fighting pesticide immunity bills and plastic migration in the same breath.This conversation goes deeper than clean eating. Johanna walks through the specific decisions she makes every day, from the containers in her kitchen to the farms that grow her tomatoes, and explains why the real model for healthy eating has been sitting in Italian kitchens for centuries. She is building a case study that nourishing food, done with integrity, can also be a viable business. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the food system or paralyzed by conflicting information, this episode gives you a clear-headed, practical place to start.What we explore:- How heat, fat, acid, and time create the conditions for plastic and chemicals to migrate directly into your food.- Why 99% of food chemicals enter the US supply through a regulatory loophole that bypasses proper safety review.- What rebuilding your gut microbiome actually requires, and why what happens in your gut controls far more than most people realize.- How Johanna runs a restaurant rooted in love without sacrificing standards, consistency, or accountability.- Why voting with your dollars and contacting your representatives are two of the most direct actions you can take right now.About Johanna Hellrigl:Johanna Hellrigl is a chef, restaurateur, and culinary advocate redefining what restaurants can stand for. She is the chef-owner of Ama, an award-winning Northern Italian restaurant in Washington, DC, named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2026 and recognized by Gambero Rosso for authenticity. Before opening Ama, she spent years in international democracy-building work across 61 countries, an experience that deepened her belief that food is one of the most powerful tools for connection and change. She sits on the board of the Environmental Working Group and works with the Plastic Pollution Coalition, bringing the same rigor she applies in her kitchen to the fight for a safer, more transparent food system.Connect with Johanna Hellrigl:Instagram (Chef Johanna): https://www.instagram.com/chefjohannahellrigl/Instagram (Ama Restaurant): https://www.instagram.com/amarestaurant.bar/Website: https://amarestaurant.barTimestamps00:00 Intro01:00 Growing Up in a Michelin Kitchen05:08 How 61 Countries Brought Her Back to Food08:00 Reclaiming the Family Meal13:17 Pesticide Loopholes and Who Pays the Price20:12 Finding Common Ground on Food Policy29:00 Plastic, Cookware, and Cutting Board Basics37:40 Meal Prep That Actually Works43:40 Why She Opened Ama56:23 Love, Standards, and Consistency in the Kitchen01:01:06 What's Really Inside a Plate of Pasta01:08:33 Healing the Gut After Antibiotic Overload01:15:39 EWG, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and How to Get Loud–This episode is sponsored by:RITUAL: So sit back and raise a glass to your new evening Ritual with Magnesium+. Save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/GABBY. That's Ritual.com/GABBY for 25% off your first month.ANNMARIE: Visit https://www.annmariegianni.com/ and use code Gabby for 20% off.–The Gabby Reece ShowThis is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.Connect with Gabby Reece:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficialWebsite: https://gabriellereece.comPlease note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You won't believe this new medical use for Classic Coca-Cola; The solution for menopausal sleep problems goes beyond mere hormone replacement; Paxlovid strikes out vs. Covid in new trials; Pesticide exposure may explain rising colorectal cancer rates in young people; Big Food touts faulty study that claims healthier food regulations will cost consumers; Higher aerobic fitness boosts size of the brain's memory centers—as does memorizing London taxi routes. 

A new private behavioral health facility opens this June in Council Buffs. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group says testing has shown elevated nitrate levels in Des Moines and other Midwest cities. And a look inside a national competition in Oklahoma that draws hundreds of teenagers from across the country to show their skills judging soil.

Our guest tonight is Bernadette Del Chiaro, Senior Vice President at the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit working to empower people with breakthrough research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment.Bernadette leads EWG's California operations, building the organization at the state level to continue its groundbreaking work on advancing critical environmental and public health priorities, through innovative policies, enhanced transparency and improved accountability of government agencies.Del Chiaro has 30 years of experience building non-profit organizations focused on the goals of  clean energy and a healthier environment. Most recently, she served as the executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association. Under her leadership, it became the nation's largest clean energy business association focused on consumer-facing solar energy solutions.Prior to that, she worked for nearly two decades for environmental non-profit organizations, including Environment California, where she championed the Million Solar Roofs Initiative, and the Toxics Action Center, where she helped neighborhood groups fight for their right to a clean environment.Del Chiaro has authored several reports on a variety of energy topics and has been widely quoted in many national, international and local media outlets.In tonight's episode we discuss the following:Despite the known negative health effects of "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, they are still legally used as pesticides on food grown throughout the United States, with a few exceptions, such as in Maine.In a March 2026 EWG study involving 930 samples of non-organic California-grown produce, 37% were found to be contaminated with PFAS-based pesticides.EWG is supporting legislation such as AB 1603, which would ban the use of PFAS-based pesticides in California by 2035.In the meantime, EWG recommends continuing to consume produce, favoring organic produce when feasible, and using proper washing techniques.Risks associated with PFAS exposure can be further reduced by favoring produce on EWG's "Clean Fifteen" list, and avoiding the "Dirty Dozen".Support the showVisit us at climatemoneywatchdog.org!

Send us Fan MailSunscreen advice usually comes as a binary: fear the sun or ignore the risks. We take a different path and give you a practical framework for sun protection that doesn't sacrifice the real health benefits of sunlight. From the start, we separate the roles of UVA and UVB so you can understand what actually causes sunburn, what drives vitamin D production, and why UVA is linked with skin aging while still playing a role in nitric oxide release and circulation. Then we get concrete about “sensible sunlight exposure,” a balanced approach popularised by vitamin D researcher Dr Michael Holick. We talk about how timing, latitude, altitude, season, and skin pigmentation change your safe window for unprotected sun, and why regular gradual exposure can build a “solar callus” that improves tolerance. We also cover a detail many people miss: most household glass blocks UVB but allows UVA through, which matters for anyone spending long hours near windows or on the road. Finally, we tackle sunscreen safety and label reading. We discuss concerns around common sunscreen chemicals like parabens and benzophenone-3 (often called oxybenzone), the reality of transdermal absorption with frequent reapplication, and why combining products can amplify exposure, especially when sunscreen overlaps with insect repellent. We share how we use the Environmental Working Group (EWG) tools like the Skin Deep app, clarify what SPF and “broad spectrum” really mean, and name the mineral sunscreens we trust, with an emphasis on zinc oxide and non-nano options. If this helps you rethink your summer routine, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find smarter, safer guidance on sunlight, sunscreen, and skin health.Environmental Working Group: ewg.orgwww.thehealthedgepodcast.com

In this encore episode of Health Gig, Doro and Tricia have a conversation with Ken Cook, President & Co-Founder of the Environmental Working Group. He talks about his decades of experience as a writer and lobbyist who is dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. Ken shares a few resources, including the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists, and the Tap Water Database, and provides listeners with advice and tips for healthy living.

Are your fruits and vegetables helping your health, or silently sabotaging it?     On today's show, we break down the Environmental Working Group's 2026 report, which analyzed over 54,000 produce samples to reveal which fruits and vegetables are safest, and which ones are covered in multiple man-made chemicals.     We explore the surprising prevalence of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and "forever chemicals" in everyday produce, and share how to shop smart (and safely) using the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists without feeling restricted.     You'll also learn practical and cost saving tips for peeling, choosing frozen options, or swapping certain produce to reduce exposure.     Join me on today's Cabral Concept 3721 to learn more about chemicals in your food and how to make your produce choices smarter, safer, and better for your wellbeing.   - - - For Everything Mentioned In Today's Show: StephenCabral.com/3721 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!  

We began the program with four interesting guests on topics we think you should know more about! 8:05PM: Using tax returns for home improvements is a common way to reinvest in your property, but the Better Business Bureau warns homeowners to use caution to avoid scams and poor-quality work.Guest: Paula Fleming, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for the Better Business Bureau, Boston 8:15PM: Every year Matt and the Matt Brown Foundation team run the Boston Marathon – this year is no different! Please consider supporting the Matt Brown Foundation run for 2026! **Matt Brown is a former Norwood High School (MA) hockey player who became a motivational speaker and founder of the Matt Brown Foundation after sustaining a paralyzing spinal cord injury in a 2010 game.Guest: Matt Brown, former Norwood High School hockey player and Founder of the Matt Brown Foundation 8:30PM: The Environmental Working Group has released its 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ and finds widespread PFAS (forever chemicals) pesticide residue on non-organic fruits and vegetables. Find out what produce made the list of the 2026 “Dirty Dozen” – But don’t fret, there’s also a 2026 “Clean Fifteen” for safer eating! Guest: Varun Subramaniam, Science Analyst for the Environmental Working Group 8:45PM: There’s a new scam in town, and you probably wouldn’t think much of it since most websites have been asking you to “prove you’re a human” through CAPTCHA (the box that pops up and asks you to click on pictures of traffic lights or crosswalks) for a while now. But hold on – don’t open a “Run” box or paste code if asked to!! It’s a scam! Guest: Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource CenterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often measure productivity by output, deadlines, and achievements. But could one of the most powerful indicators of human performance be something we rarely discuss in leadership conversations, our fertility and overall biological health? In this episode of Productivity Smarts, host Gerald J. Leonard sits down with Dr. Marina, an experienced OBGYN and educator with more than 30 years of experience in women's health and reproductive medicine. Drawing from insights in her upcoming book, Optimize Your Fertility Naturally, they explore the surprising connection between fertility, overall health, and long-term productivity. Dr. Marina explains why fertility should be viewed as a vital sign of overall health, much like blood pressure or heart rate. When the body is functioning optimally, reproductive health reflects that balance. But when lifestyle factors such as poor sleep, chronic stress, unhealthy diets, and environmental toxins accumulate, they can disrupt the body's natural systems and reduce both fertility and overall well-being. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Marina highlights how modern lifestyles often prioritize quick pharmaceutical solutions instead of addressing the underlying biological foundations of health. She emphasizes that sustainable productivity begins with the basics: quality sleep, nutrient-dense food, physical activity, stress management, and reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in everyday products. The discussion also explores the hidden role environmental toxins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals play in modern health challenges, including declining fertility, obesity, and chronic fatigue. Dr. Marina shares practical tools, including the Environmental Working Group's Healthy Living App, which helps consumers identify safer household and personal care products. If you want to improve your energy, protect your long-term health, and build the foundation for sustainable productivity in both your career and personal life, this episode offers practical insights you won't want to miss.   What We Discuss [00:00] Introduction [02:01] Guest introduction: Dr. Marina [02:31] Personal motivation and upcoming book mention [05:10] Producing healthy humans as productivity [05:42] Holistic health vs. crisis response [06:24] Fertility as a vital sign of overall health [07:44] Holistic medicine vs pharmaceutical-first healthcare [10:02] Biological energy as productivity foundation [11:05] Managing stress for productivity [12:22] Invisible performance disruptors [13:21] Environmental Working Group and Healthy Living app [14:34] Water and air quality concerns [17:36] Environmental toxins and longevity [18:06] Long-term health and productivity mindset [18:41] Burnout and biological costs [20:28] Processed foods and weight loss challenges [22:56] Core pillars of high-performance health [23:38] Importance of sleep and circadian rhythms [25:38] Shift work and health challenges [26:12] Productivity as lifetime legacy [27:16] Health, wealth, and purpose [28:00] Resource recap: Healthy Living app [28:22] Where to find Dr. Marina and the book prelaunch   Notable Quotes [05:22] "In order to produce healthy humans, you have to be healthy yourself." – Dr. Marina [06:36] "Fertility should be considered a vital sign as well because it's a very good reflection of your overall state of health." – Dr. Marina [07:20] "What's going to solve the problem is you getting enough sleep, you eating a good diet, you moving your body, you are reacting to stress in a positive way." – Dr. Marina [10:23] "If you're not thinking clearly because you're exhausted, if you're stressed and you haven't dealt with it, it's very hard to be productive in a positive way." – Dr. Marina [12:40] "It's been estimated that 90% of doctors visits are due to stress related factors." – Dr. Marina [19:16] "If you rely on burning the candle at both ends, it's like the turtle and the hare." – Dr. Marina [22:01] "We tend to look at overweight people and think it's their fault, but that's no longer the case. They are being affected by the environment, chemicals, and the food itself." – Dr. Marina [22:58] "You want a diet that's nutrient dense that doesn't contain a lot of junk food and sugar." – Dr. Marina [27:34] "If you're wealthy but your health is bad, you'll spend all your wealth trying to get healthy." – Gerald J. Leonard   Resource and Links Healthy Living App Dr. Marina Website: https://drmarinaobgyn.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinaobgyn/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.marina.obgyn/ Coming Soon: Optimize Your Fertility Naturally   Productivity Smarts Podcast Website - productivitysmartspodcast.com   Gerald J. Leonard Website - geraldjleonard.com Turnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.com Scheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonard Kiva is a loan, not a donation, allowing you to cycle your money and create a personal impact worldwide. https://www.kiva.org/lender/topmindshelpingtopminds

What if two of the most ordinary things in your life, your cell phone and your tap water, were interacting inside your body in ways no one has ever fully explained before? In this eye-opening solo episode, Darin breaks down emerging research showing that wireless radiation and industrial toxins like chromium-6 may work together inside the body, creating a level of cellular stress and DNA damage far greater than either exposure alone. This isn't about fear, it's about awareness. Because for the first time, we're starting to understand that modern life isn't about isolated exposures… it's about combined effects happening simultaneously. From the shocking reality of contaminated water supplies to the invisible EMF environment we live in daily, Darin connects the dots between science, lifestyle, and practical action. Most importantly, he gives you a clear roadmap for reducing your exposure and strengthening your body's natural defenses, so you can live powerfully within the modern world, without being silently impacted by it.     What You'll Learn Why modern health risks are not isolated—but compounded through multiple exposures The surprising connection between cell phone radiation and chromium-6 What new research reveals about synergistic DNA damage inside cells Why current safety standards may not reflect real-world conditions How widespread chromium-6 contamination is in modern water systems The concept of "toxic load" and how it builds over time Why your body can repair damage—but only up to a certain threshold The importance of reducing exposure instead of chasing perfection How EMFs impact cellular stress responses and long-term health Practical strategies to reduce your exposure starting today     Chapters 00:00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of building a healthier world 00:00:33 – Sponsor: the truth about NAD+ supplements and quality verification 00:02:17 – Setting intention: breathwork and grounding into the episode 00:03:08 – Introducing today's topic: cell phones, tap water, and hidden health risks 00:03:54 – New research reveals unexpected interactions inside the body 00:04:35 – How wireless radiation and chromium-6 combine inside cells 00:05:17 – Inside the Bioelectromagnetics Lab and what researchers tested 00:06:01 – Key finding: isolated exposure vs combined exposure 00:06:50 – Why "1 + 1" doesn't equal 2 in biological systems 00:07:43 – DNA fragmentation and what it means for long-term health 00:08:21 – Why current safety standards may be incomplete 00:09:01 – What chromium-6 actually is and why it matters 00:09:56 – The Erin Brockovich connection and why this is bigger than one case 00:10:09 – 200 million Americans exposed through drinking water 00:10:57 – How chromium-6 enters water systems 00:11:30 – The lack of federal regulation and what that means 00:12:00 – Why this isn't about panic: it's about awareness 00:12:37 – Chronic low-level exposure vs acute exposure 00:13:00 – Your body's repair systems—and when they get overwhelmed 00:13:11 – Sponsor: non-toxic cookware and reducing toxic exposure 00:15:01 – Introducing your "Digital Hygiene Protocol" 00:15:40 – Step 1: Creating an EMF-free sleep environment 00:16:30 – Why sleep is critical for DNA repair 00:16:58 – Step 2: Distance as your greatest protection 00:17:30 – Why proximity to your phone matters more than you think 00:18:03 – Eliminating Bluetooth exposure and switching to wired options 00:18:36 – Hardwiring your home and reducing Wi-Fi exposure 00:19:05 – Why earbuds and constant proximity increase risk 00:19:30 – Step 3: Filtering your water to remove chromium-6 00:20:00 – Reverse osmosis and why it matters 00:20:22 – Supporting your body's defense systems through nutrition 00:20:45 – Antioxidants, minerals, and detox support 00:21:10 – Adaptogens and strengthening resilience 00:21:30 – Final perspective: technology isn't the enemy—misuse is 00:22:00 – The concept of the "multi-stressor environment" 00:22:20 – Empowerment over fear: what you can control today 00:22:36 – Closing thoughts and invitation to share the message     Thank You to Our Sponsors: Our Place – Non-toxic cookware that keeps harmful chemicals out of your food. Get 10% off at fromourplace.com with code DARIN. Tru Niagen – Boost NAD+ levels for cellular health and longevity. Get 20% off with code DARIN20 at truniagen.com.     Find More From Darin: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences     Key Takeaway "We don't live in a world of single exposures anymore—we live in a world of combinations. It's not just what you're exposed to, it's how those exposures interact inside your body over time. The good news is, you don't need to eliminate everything—you just need to reduce the load. And every small, intentional choice you make moves your biology back toward balance."     Bibliography/Sources Primary Scientific Study Zhu, Y., Zhu, L., Lan, Y., Sun, C., & Chen, G. (2026). Exposure to hexavalent chromium and 1800 MHz electromagnetic radiation can synergistically induce intracellular DNA damage in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 804, Article 153360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2026.153360 Environmental & Regulatory Resources California State Water Resources Control Board. (2024). Chromium-6 drinking water maximum contaminant level. California Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/Chromium6.html  Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). Chromium-6 report. https://www.ewg.org/areas-focus/toxic-chemicals/chromium-6  Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). EWG's tap water database. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater International Agency for Research on Cancer. (n.d.). IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans: Non-ionizing radiation, Part 2: Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (Group 2B). World Health Organization. https://publications.iarc.who.int/Book-And-Report-Series/Iarc-Monographs-On-The-Identification-Of-Carcinogenic-Hazards-To-Humans/Non-ionizing-Radiation-Part-2-Radiofrequency-Electromagnetic-Fields-2013

Grocery prices are up, budgets are tight, and consumers are more health-conscious than ever. So where does that leave us when it comes to organic produce, pesticide residues, and the popular “Dirty Dozen” list from the Environmental Working Group?In this episode of Nutrition for Noobs, Michelle and Kevin dig into the pros, cons, and context behind the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists. Are strawberries really a toxic nightmare? Should you only buy organic? And what's the real risk when it comes to pesticide residues in Canada and the U.S.?Michelle breaks down:What the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 actually measureWhy affordability is shaping 2026 food trendsWhat critics (and universities like McGill University) say about how the data is interpretedHow much produce you'd actually have to eat to be at risk (spoiler: it's a LOT)Practical, evidence-based ways to wash produce properlyWhether frozen fruit might be just as good, or better, than freshWhy avoiding fruits and vegetables out of fear may be the bigger health riskThe big takeaway? Don't let perfectionism (or scary headlines) stop you from eating your greens. Buy the best quality you can afford, wash your produce, consider growing your own if you can, and above all, practice food joy.Because at the end of the day, eating real food consistently matters more than obsessing over trace residues.EWG links:https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.phphttps://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.phpTower garden:https://ca.towergarden.com/#michelleplantsPlease subscribe and drop us a review—your feedback helps fellow noobs find their way to better nutrition.Have a question for Michelle? Have a recipe (or recipe disaster) you want to share? Get in touch at n4noobs@gmail.com or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nutritionfornoobs) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nutrition4noobs)

→ My one stop shop for quality supplements: https://theswellscore.com/pages/drg Episode Description That Brita in your fridge? It's not doing what you think it is. You bought it to protect your family. You fill it up, watch the water drip through, and feel like you've done something good. But here's the reality: Brita is NSF-certified to remove five contaminants. The Environmental Working Group just found 324 in U.S. drinking water. That gap is the problem. PFAS (the forever chemicals) have been detected in the drinking water of over 200 million Americans. Hexavalent chromium, the chemical from Erin Brockovich, has no federal limit and is present in water systems across all 50 states. Nitrates. Microplastics. Pharmaceuticals. Fluoride. Brita addresses essentially none of them. In this episode, Dr. Christian Gonzalez breaks down exactly what's in your tap water, what Brita actually filters, and what it's leaving behind. Then he gives you six evidence-based alternatives across three price tiers—so you can make the best decision for your budget and your household. In this episode, Dr. G breaks down: • Why EPA regulations are decades out of date—and why that matters for your family • The six PFAS chemicals the EPA finally regulated in 2024—and why there are 5,000 more they don't touch • The best pitcher upgrade under $60 that removes over 365 contaminants Brita ignores • Under-the-sink options with 50x the filter life and clinical-grade PFAS removal • The reverse osmosis systems Dr. G actually uses—and why they're the gold standard This isn't about fear. It's about knowing what's real so you can take control of one of the biggest daily exposures most people never think about. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:34 - What's Really in Your Tap Water (324 Contaminants) 3:26 - PFAS Forever Chemicals: 200 Million Americans Affected 5:38 - What Brita Actually Removes (The Real NSF Data) 9:47 - What Brita Leaves Behind: PFAS, Fluoride, Arsenic & More 11:43 - 6 Cleaner Alternatives Across 3 Budget Tiers 12:05 - Tier 1: Best Budget Pitcher Upgrades (~$40–60) 1:40 - Tier 2: Under-the-Sink Carbon Filters (~$150–350) 15:02 - Tier 3: Reverse Osmosis Systems (Clinical Grade) 17:01 - Which Filter Tier Is Right for You? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Tee welcomes Kyle Hulbert, CEO of The Longevity Center and co-host of Longevity Unlocked, for a grounded discussion on how heavy metals can disrupt brain chemistry and contribute to anxiety, depression, irritability, brain fog, and long-term cognitive decline. Kyle shares his personal journey through unexplained fatigue and deteriorating mental health, which was ultimately traced back to mercury toxicity and low testosterone, followed by significant improvement through physician-guided detoxification and hormone optimization. The episode breaks down common sources of heavy-metal exposure, how different metals affect the body and brain, and the role of clinic-based chelation therapies such as EDTA and DMPS. Tee and Kyle explain The Longevity Center's methodical approach, emphasizing comprehensive bloodwork before any intervention, and they highlight practical, everyday ways to reduce toxic inputs using trusted resources like The Environmental Working Group and MadeSafe. Kyle also offers a clear warning about the risks of DIY heavy-metal detox protocols and why professional oversight matters. Tee and Kyle also explore water testing and filtration as a foundational step in toxin reduction. The conversation concludes with an important reminder: stay informed but level-headed. Reducing exposure is a gradual process, and panic or chronic stress about toxins can be just as harmful as the toxins themselves. Connect with Kyle and The Longevity Center:  Website Podcast LinkedIn Instagram Facebook   Follow Therese "Tee" Forton-Barnes and The Green Living Gurus: Austin Air Purifiers: For podcast listeners, take 15% off any Austin Air product; please email Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com and mention that you want to buy a product and would like the discount. See all products here: Austin Air The Green Living Gurus' Website  Instagram YouTube Facebook Healthy Living Group on Facebook   Tip the podcaster! Support Tee and the endless information that she provides: Patreon Venmo: @Therese-Forton-Barnes last four digits of her cell are 8868 For further info, contact Tee: Email: Tee@thegreenlivinggurus.com Cell: 716-868-8868 DISCLAIMER: ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IS GENERAL GUIDANCE AND NOT MEANT TO BE USED FOR INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER OR DOCTOR FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. Produced By: Social Chameleon

Fear sells, but at what cost to our health? In this unscripted, heart-to-heart conversation, I address a troubling pattern I've noticed in wellness culture: the rise of fear-based health information that lacks crucial context and nuance.When patients ask me whether chia seeds are "toxic" unless soaked, or show me how their healthy peanut butter scores poorly on wellness apps while processed diet foods receive high marks, I worry about the impact of black-and-white thinking on our relationship with food. The internet's tendency to demonize ultra-rare risks while ignoring substantial benefits creates unnecessary anxiety and potentially harmful avoidance behaviors.Through practical examples—from the misunderstood dangers of chia seeds to the methodological limitations of the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list—I explain how "the dose makes the poison" and why counting ingredients without considering their amounts or effects leads to flawed conclusions. Food processing exists on a spectrum; protein powder is technically ultra-processed yet consistently associated with positive health outcomes. Context matters enormously.What's most concerning is how social media algorithms reward sensationalism over substance. A 22-minute video exploring nutritional nuance won't go viral like a shirtless influencer making alarming claims about "toxic" foods in a 30-second clip. This creates an environment where our attention spans shorten (we now have an acronym—TLDR—for content deemed too long) and our anxiety about food choices grows.The solution isn't abandoning tools like food tracking apps entirely—they can help people become more educated about what they consume. Rather, we need to approach health information with critical thinking skills and awareness of these tools' limitations. Your balance point may differ from mine, but I hope these conversations help you develop the discernment to navigate wellness information wisely, without letting fear dictate your choices.Go check out my website for tons of free resources on how to transition towards a healthier diet and lifestyle.You can download my free plant-based recipes eBook and a ton of other free resources by visiting the Digital Downloads tab of my website at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/shopDon't forget to check out my blog at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/blog You can also watch my educational videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpkQRXb7G-StAotV0dmahQCheck out my upcoming live events and free eCourse, where you'll learn more about how to create delicious plant-based recipes: https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/Go follow me on social media by visiting my Facebook page and Instagram accountshttps://www.facebook.com/plantbaseddrjuleshttps://www.instagram.com/plantbased_dr_jules/Last but not least, the best way to show your support and to help me spread my message is to subscribe to my podcast and to leave a 5 star review on Apple and Spotify!Thanks so much!Peace, love, plants!Dr. Jules

In this quick but eye-opening episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie take a closer look at the Environmental Working Group's annual Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists—two rankings that help consumers understand which fruits and vegetables carry the highest (and lowest) pesticide residues. Whether you shop for your family, your backyard wildlife, or even your parrots (as both Debbie and Laurie do!), this is essential information for keeping everyone safe and healthy. Debbie and Laurie walk through both lists, covering the worst offenders like potatoes, blueberries, blackberries, apples, and leafy greens, as well as the produce that consistently ranks safest, including pineapple, sweet corn, avocados, onions, mushrooms, and kiwi. They explain how the USDA tests produce, why washing and peeling matter, and how thin skins versus thick rinds influence pesticide absorption. The hosts also explore how choosing local, organic, and responsibly grown food can benefit not just our bodies, but also our soil, water, wildlife, and overall ecosystem health. Plus, they highlight ways the Matthews Community Farmers Market helps shoppers make informed, sustainable choices. This helpful, practical episode empowers listeners to shop smarter, understand the environmental impact of pesticide use, and make everyday decisions that support healthier people—and a healthier planet.

Hello Heal Squad! Today, Maria sits down with two major forces behind the Environmental Working Group …aka EWG: Ken Cook, President and Co-Founder, and Jocelyn Lyle, Executive VP of Mission & Partnerships. If you've ever wondered what's really in your products, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Maria first learned about EWG from Jenny McCarthy, and it's been her gold standard in clean and safe ever since. But today isn't just about clean mascara or safer lotion… it's about something far bigger: the hidden toxins in our everyday routines…like drinking water! Ken and Jocelyn are here to break down how we can fix it and uncover how dangerous chemicals sneak into personal care and household products. They also share how EWG is helping all of us, from busy parents to conscious consumers make smarter, safer choices without feeling overwhelmed. If you're stepping into 2026 with a mission to protect your health, clean up your routine, or finally understand what's actually going on your body (and in your water), this conversation will change how you shop, how you think, and how you care for yourself from head to toe. HEALERS & HEAL-LINERS:  Legal” does not mean safe : U.S. regulations for cosmetics and water are decades behind scientific research, which means harmful chemicals can be completely legal yet still linked to health problems. Your water likely contains multiple contaminants: Between PFAS, agricultural runoff, industrial chemicals, and aging infrastructure, water across the country includes contaminants that treatment systems can't fully remove. Hidden toxins are everywhere, and companies don't always disclose them. HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership My Curated Macy's Page: Shop My Macy's Storefront Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/maria  Thrive Causemetics: https://thrivecausemetics.com/healsquad Get 20% OFF with this link!  Briotech: https://shopbriotech.com/ Use Code: HEALSQUAD for 20% off  Jenny McCarthy on Heal Squad:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Q3ZQpscoY Crunchi Foundation: https://go.shopmy.us/p-35676214 GUEST RESOURCES: Website: http://ewg.org EWG Healthy Living App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ewgs-healthy-living/id703155791 EWG Holiday Boxes  ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos' passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.

What does the ordinary person do to protect themselves when regulators fail?How can you know what is safe to eat – or safe to eat just a little – or safe to eat if you wash it? There are groups trying to fill in the gaps left by poor regulation. The Environmental Working Group in Washington publishes a list of the Dirty Dozen – fruits and vegetables most contaminated with pesticides. But they also publish a list of the Clean 15. And both lists are updated if things change and a dirty one becomes clean.And then there is the book, Slow Death by Rubber Duck. When it was published in 2009 it wasn't just the quirky title that made it a best seller around the world. The book revealed how daily life is bathing us in toxins that accumulate in our tissues, are passed on to our children and damage our health. That was a wakeup call to people all over the world.In this episode Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith explain why they decided the best way to demonstrate how chemicals get into our bodies was to experiment on themselves and document it in a book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extreme steps taken to make food look more appealing, last longer and be addictively delicious is detrimental to our health. State Legislatures from West Virginia to California are not waiting for federal solutions. CA Asssembly-member Jesse Gabriel says “our public schools should not be serving students ultra-processed food products filled with chemical additives that can harm their physical and mental health and interfere with their ability to learn,” Scott Faber leads the Environmental Working Group’s government affairs efforts to reform food, farm, water and chemical safety policies. Faber is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. EWG.org/foodscores

This episode explores whether MAHA momentum in the states translates into actual policy change nationwide. Helena and Theodore host the first episode of Forked recorded in front of a live audience in Washington DC with two special guests: Summer Barrett, a self-described MAHA Mom – and influential lobbyist – in West Virginia who led the state's charge to ban food dyes; and Scott Faber, from the Environmental Working Group, who argues that MAHA is succeeding on food because the FDA isn't doing its job. An in-depth look at food politics from two very different insiders.

Paul Schiefer, President of Amy's Kitchen, and Ken Cook, President and Co-Founder of Environmental Working Group, talk to Kate and Mark about scaled organic as a sustainability solution; what, specifically, makes Amy's cooking stand out; how conventional agriculture weakens prices; and making organic easier and more accessible to all.Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and please help us grow by leaving us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts.Follow Mark on Twitter at @bittman, and on Facebook and Instagram at @markbittman. Want more food content? Subscribe to The Bittman Project at www.bittmanproject.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Almost 15 million acres in the Midwest grow corn on the same land year after year. That's about 20 percent of all Midwest cropland.Growing corn in this way produces more greenhouse gas emissions than crop rotation because it releases more nitrous oxide — a greenhouse gas 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.That's according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group.But cost-effective, climate-smart practices can reduce these emissions in a big way.Anne Schechinger is lead author of the analysis, and she shared more about the findings as well as solutions to offset the climate impacts of continuous corn with Climate Cast host Paul Huttner.Click play on the audio player above to listen to this episode, or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

FMF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@funmedResources:Austin Air Filters: https://austinair.com/Broccoli Sprouts: https://wellnessmama.com/health/sulforaphane/Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/Smart Sleeve: http://www.safesleevecases.com/discount/RenewInstWellness Services at FMI:Flowpresso®: https://funmedidaho.com/lymphatic-flow-massage/IV Therapy: https://funmedidaho.com/iv-therapy/Blood Purification Protocol: https://funmedidaho.com/ozone-blood-purification-protocol/Ionic Foot Baths: https://funmedidaho.com/ionic-foot-bath/Supplements: https://funmedshop.com/Biotoxin Binder: https://funmedshop.com/products/cellcore-biotoxin-binder-120ctHM ET Binder: https://funmedshop.com/products/cellcore-hm-et-binder-120ctKL Support: https://funmedshop.com/products/cellcore-kl-support-120ctKono Nutrition Protein: https://funmedshop.com/products/regenerative-grass-fed-whey-protein-isolate-konoFoundations Prebiotic Plus DF: https://funmedshop.com/products/foundations-prebiotic-plus-dfTesting:Test My Home: https://www.testmyhome.com/Whole Home and Body Health: https://wholehomeandbodyhealth.com/FMI Center for Optimal HealthWebsite: fmioptimal.comInstagram: @fmioptimalFunctional Medicine of Idaho:Website: funmedidaho.comInstagram: @funmedidaho

What if the same determination it takes to climb some of the world's highest peaks was also the key to tackling some of the world's biggest chemical threats?That's the story of today's guest, Arlene Blum. A pioneering mountaineer who co-led the first women's ascent of Denali and led the first American ascent of Annapurna I, Arlene later turned her focus toward another steep climb: protecting public health from harmful chemicals. As the founder of the Green Science Policy Institute, she has helped phase out toxic flame retardants and raised global awareness of PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals.” You may remember her from our Forever Chemicals podcast series last year.Now, Arlene is sounding the alarm on what could be the next PFAS: antimicrobials. As we celebrate 200 episodes of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we explore the parallels between adventure and advocacy and how we can carry the lessons learned from the wilderness to creating change in our own communities. Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalistBuy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠Listener Survey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-----------------More Resources Green Science Policy Institute: ⁠https://greensciencepolicy.org/⁠Arlene Blum: https://www.arleneblum.com/Six Classes: https://www.sixclasses.org/Breaking Trail Book: https://www.arleneblum.com/product/breaking-trail-a-climbing-life/Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/

In this episode of the Naturally Nourished Podcast, we focus on three key hormones that can significantly impact metabolism: insulin, leptin, and cortisol. Each of these hormones plays an essential role in regulating energy, hunger, and stress, and when imbalances occur, they may be the underlying cause of a metabolic stall or plateau. The conversation explores how insulin resistance can block fat burn, how leptin resistance can interfere with satiety signals, and how cortisol dysregulation can drive cravings and fat storage. We discuss practical strategies for identifying when these hormones are out of balance, along with food-as-medicine approaches, lifestyle modifications, and targeted supplementation to help restore harmony and support optimal metabolic function. Also in this episode:  Join our Keto Reset Program Naturally Nourished Kids Book Tour Events Insulin Naturally Nourished Episode 459 Why Insulin Matters Improved Skeletal Muscle Insulin Sensitivity Study Rapid Reduction in Insulin Resistance Markers Study Leptin Naturally Nourished Episode 146 Keto as a Hormetic Stressor and Leptin  Naturally Nourished Episode 356 Low Fat Keto for Leptin Resistance What is Leptin and why it matters High vs. Low Leptin Leptin, Obesity, and Leptin Resistance: Where Are We 25 Years Later? Ideal range for leptin 5-10 Cortisol Metabolic and blood sugar impact The Anti-Anxiety Diet Adrenal Rehab Program Calm and Clear Relax and Regulate Adaptogen Boost How a Keto Reset Supports Insulin, Leptin & Cortisol Regulation   This episode is sponsored by:  According to extensive research by the Environmental Working Group, virtually every home in America has harmful contaminants in its tap water. That's why you've got to check out AquaTru. AquaTru purifiers use a 4-stage reverse osmosis purification process, and their countertop purifiers work with NO installation or plumbing. It removes 15x more contaminants than ordinary pitcher filters and are specifically designed to combat chemicals like PFAS in your water supply. Naturally Nourished Podcast listeners can use code ALIMILLERRD at AquaTru.com to save 20% off. 

Bobby Kennedy, Jr. seemed on the right track when he launched his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.Well, not the wacky-quacky part of that agenda, where he teeters off into the prickly thicket of medical voodoo and vaccine bugaboos. But he was onto something fundamentally important when he began to rally public opposition to the arrogance, greed, and willful destructiveness of pesticide peddlers and other Big Food profiteers.As Secretary of Health, Kennedy pushed Trump's “presidential commission on children's health” to take long-overdue action to rein-in those agribusiness contaminators of our food supply and natural resources. He called for limits and outright bans on industrial ag and food processing abuses that grow corporate profits at the expense of healthy kids.Great!But wait – the commission's draft report is now out, and none of Kennedy's most meaningful stuff is in it. None! There's no suggestion, for example, that even the most toxic cancer-causing pesticides should be outlawed, permanently removed from food products and our environment.What happened? Money. While Kennedy was publicly talking a good game, Big Food profiteers were paying a million dollars each to have intimate talks at private dinners with Trump. And when money talks, political integrity walks.Sadly, rather than resigning in protest of Trump's whitewash and rallying America's families to carry this betrayal into next year's elections, Kennedy is hyping the report's empty calories as a people's victory! But he can't make chicken salad out of chicken manure. Grassroots groups themselves call the gutted report “beyond laughable,” “profoundly disappointing” and “dangerous.”For genuine, structural change in food policy, go to Environmental Working Group: ewg.org.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Send us a textOrganic food often sounds like a smarter, healthier choice—but is it really worth the extra cost? In this episode, we dig into the scientific evidence behind organic foods, pesticide risks, and whether you're buying better health or just paying for a better-sounding label.We begin by breaking down the steep price differences between organic and conventional food. According to the USDA, Americans spend roughly $1 trillion annually on food at home, averaging over $3,100 per person. Organic options can increase grocery bills by 50% or more, as LendingTree reports in this price comparison analysis. My own market trip found Fuji apples nearly double in price, and wild-caught salmon more than twice as expensive.But do organics deliver better health outcomes? Most organic foods contain lower pesticide residues, which 85% of Americans cite as a concern. Yet research shows these lower levels don't clearly translate to better health. Rodent studies show harm at extremely high pesticide doses, far above what's found in conventional produce. Human risk data mostly comes from farm workers, not everyday consumers.A 2023 meta-analysis of 50 studies found that organic diets reduced blood pesticide levels and increased plant-derived phenolics, but showed inconsistent results for antioxidants. Cancer data is also mixed. One observational study found no clear differences across 15 cancer types. Another study of 68,000 participants linked organic food with perhaps a  0.6% lower risk of cancer incidence (JAMA Internal Medicine). However, organic eaters also are more likely health oriented (perhaps exercise more, sleep better), so lifestyle may explain the difference—not the food alone.I ran the numbers: avoiding one case of cancer might require 150 people to eat organic, costing about $300,000 in additional food expenses to avoid 1 cancer. And since organic prices may lead families to buy less produce overall, there's a tradeoff. We know from a meta-analysis that increasing fruit and vegetable intake (organic or not) is linked to a 13% reduction in mortality and a 35% drop in cancer risk. That's a far more impactful move.If you're looking for a middle ground, consider using the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists. While not a neutral source, their rankings can help prioritize which foods might be worth buying organic. Washing produce also helps reduce, but not eliminate, pesticide residues.Takeaways:Organic foods have lower pesticide levels but no clear, consistent health advantage.The biggest health gain comes from eating more fruits and vegetables—regardless of whether they're organic.If organic costs limit your produce intake, stick with conventional and focus on volume, variety, and other wellness investments like better sleep or exercise.As always, I'd love to hear what you think. Does this shift how you shop? Let me know—and share this episode with someone navigating the same choice.

The Food and Drug Administration or FDA regulates roughly 78% of the US food supply. This includes packaged products, food additives, infant formula, ultra-processed foods, and lots more. However, an analysis by the Environmental Working Group found that 99% of new food ingredients enter our food supply through a legal loophole that skirts FDA oversight and seems, to me at least, to be incredibly risky. Today we're speaking with two authors of a recent legal and policy analysis published in the Journal Health Affairs. They explain what this loophole is and its risks and suggest a new user fee program to both strengthen the FDA's ability to regulate food ingredients and address growing concerns about food safety. Our guests are Jennifer Pomeranz Associate Professor of Public Health Policy and Management at New York University School of Global Public Health and Emily Broad, director of Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation. Interview Summary So Jennifer, let's start with you, help our listeners understand the current situation with food ingredient oversight. And what is this legal loophole that allows food companies to add new ingredients without safety reviews. Sure. So, Congress passed the Food Additives Amendment in 1958, and the idea was to divide food additives and generally recognized as safe ingredients into two different categories. That's where the GRAS term comes from generally recognized as safe? ‘Generally Recognized As Safe' is GRAS. But it circularly defines food additives as something that's not GRAS. So, there's not actually a definition of these two different types of substances. But the idea was that the food industry would be required to submit a pre-market, that means before it puts the ingredient into the marketplace, a pre-market petition to the FDA to review the safety. And then the FDA promulgates a regulation for safe use of a food additive. GRAS ingredients on the other hand, initially thought of as salt, pepper, vinegar, are things like that would just be allowed to enter the food supply without that pre-market petition. The problem is the food industry is the entity that decides which category to place each ingredient. There's no FDA guidance on which category they're supposed to ascribe to these ingredients. What has happened is that the food industry has now entered into the food supply an enormous amount of ingredients under what we call the GRAS loophole, which is allowing it to just bring it to the market without any FDA oversight or even knowledge of the ingredient. So, in essence, what we're having now is that the food industry polices itself on whether to submit this pre-market petition for a food additive or just include it in its products without any FDA knowledge. When you said ‘enormous number of such things,' are we talking dozens, hundreds, thousands? Nobody knows, but the environmental working group did find that 99% of new ingredients are added through this loophole. And that's the concerning part. Well, you can look at some ultra-processed foods and they can have 30 or 40 ingredients on them. That's just one food. You can imagine that at across the food supply, how many things there are. And there are these chemicals that nobody can pronounce. You don't know what's going on, what they are, what they're all about. So, what you're saying is that the food industry decides to put these things in foods. There's some processing reason for putting them in. It's important that the public be protected against harmful ingredients. But the food industry decides what's okay to put in and what's not. Are they required to do any testing? Are there criteria for that kind of testing? Is there any sense that letting the industry police itself amounts to anything that protects the public good? Well, the criteria are supposed to be the same for GRAS or food additives. They're supposed to be meeting certain scientific criteria. But the problem with this is that for GRAS ingredients, they don't have to use published data and they can hold that scientific data to themselves. And you mentioned food labels, the ingredient list, right? That doesn't necessarily capture these ingredients. They use generic terms, corn oil, color additive, food additive whatever. And so, the actual ingredient itself is not necessarily listed on the ingredient list. There is no way to identify them and it's unknown whether they're actually doing the studies. They can engage in these, what are called GRAS panels, which are supposed to be experts that evaluate the science. But the problem is other studies have found that 100% of the people on these GRAS panels have financial conflicts of interest. Okay, so let me see if I have this right. I'm a food company. I develop a new additive to provide color or flavor or fragrance, or it's an emulsifier or something like that. I develop a chemical concoction that hasn't really been tested for human safety. I declare it safe. And the criteria I use for declaring it set safe is putting together a panel of people that I pay, who then in a hundred percent of cases say things are. That's how it works? I can't say that in a hundred percent of cases they say it's safe, but a hundred percent of the people have financial conflicts of interest. That's one of the major concerns there. Well, one can't imagine they would continue to be paid... Exactly. This sounds like a pretty shaky system to be sure. Emily: I wanted to add a couple other really quick things on the last discussion. You were saying, Kelly, like they're using a panel of experts, which indeed are paid by them. That would be best case in some cases. They're just having their own staff say, we think this is generally recognized as safe. And I think there's some examples we can give where there isn't even evidence that they went to even any outside people, even within industry. I think that the takeaway from all of that is that there's really the ability for companies to call all the shots. Make all the rules. Not tell FDA what they're doing. And then as we talked about, not even have anything on the label because it's not a required ingredient if it's, used as part of a processing agent that's not a substance on there. So I was feeling pretty bad when Jennifer is talking about these panels and the heavy conflict... Even worse. Of interest, now I feel worse because that's the best case. Totally. And one other thing too is just you kind of warmed this up by talking about this loophole. When we put an earlier article out that we wrote that was about just this generally recognized as safe, the feedback we got from FDA was this isn't a loophole. Why are you calling this a loophole? And it's pretty clear that it's a loophole, you know? It's big enough to drive thousands of ingredients through. Yes, totally. Emily, you've written about things like partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fats, and red dye number three in particular. Both of which FDA has now prohibited in food. Can you walk us through those cases? You asked about partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fat, and then red dye three, which are two examples that we talk about a little bit in our piece. Actually, one of those, the partially hydrogenated oils was allowed in food through the generally recognized as safe definition. And the other was not. But they are both really good examples of another real issue that FDA has, which is that not only are they not doing a good job of policing substances going into food on the front end, but they do an even worse job of getting things out of food on the backend, post-market once they know that those substances are really raising red flags. And you raised two of the prime examples we've been talking about. With partially hydrogenated oils these are now banned in foods, but it took an extremely long time. Like the first evidence of harm was in the mid-nineties. By 2005, the Institute of Medicine, which is now the National Academies, said that intake of trans fat, of partially hydrogenated oils, should be as low as possible. And there was data from right around that time that found that 72,000 to 228,000 heart attacks in the US each year were caused by these partially hydrogenated oils. And on FDA's end, they started in early 2000s to require labeling. But it wasn't until 2015 that they passed a final rule saying that these substances were not generally recognized as safe. And then they kept delaying implementation until 2023. It was basically more than 20 years from when there was really clear evidence of harm including from respected national agencies to when FDA actually fully removed them from food. And red dye number three is another good example where there were studies from the 1980s that raised concerns about this red dye. And it was banned from cosmetics in 1990. But they still allowed it to be added to food. And didn't ban it from food until early this year. So early 2025. In large part because one of the other things happening is states are now taking action on some of these substances where they feel like we really need to protect consumers in our states. And FDA has been doing a really poor job. California banned red dye about 18 months before that and really spurred FDA to action. So that 20-year delay with between 72,000 and 228,000 heart attack deaths attributable to the trans fats is the cost of delay and inaction and I don't know, conflicts of interest, and all kinds of other stuff that happened in FDA. So we're not talking about something trivial by any means. These are life and death things are occurring. Yes. Give us another example, if you would, about something that entered the food supply and caused harm but made it through that GRAS loophole. The example that I've talked about both in some of the work we've done together and also in a perspective piece in the New England Journal of Medicine that really focused on why this is an issue. There was this substance added to food called tara flour. It came on the scene in 2022. It was in food prepared by Daily Harvest as like a protein alternative. And they were using it from a manufacturer in South America who said we have deemed this generally recognized as safe. Everything about that is completely legal. They deemed it generally recognized as safe. A company put it into food, and they sold that. Up until that point, that's all legal. What happened was very quickly people started getting really sick from this. And so there were, I think, about 400 people across 39 states got sick. Nearly 200 people ended up in the hospital, some of them with liver failure because of this toxicity of tara flour. And so FDA followed the thread they did help work with the company to do a voluntary recall, but it then took them two years, until May, 2024, to declare tara flour not generally recognized as safe. So I think, in some ways, this is a great example because it shows how it's so immediate, the impact of this substance that, again, was legally added to food with no oversight. In some ways it's a misleading example because I think so many of the substances in food, it's not going to be so clear and so immediate. It's going to be year over year, decade over decade as part of a full diet that these are causing cardiovascular risk, thyroid disease, cancer risk, those kinds of things. I'd love to hear from either of you about this. Why is FDA falling down on the job so badly? Is it that they don't have the money to do the necessary testing? Do they not have the authority? Is there not the political will to do this? Is there complete caving into the food industry? Just let them do what they want and we're going let it go? Jennifer: All of the above? Everything you just said? It's all of the above. Emily: Jen, do you wanna talk about the money side? Because that sort of gets to the genesis of the article we worked on, which was like maybe there's a creative solution to that piece. Yes, I'd love to hear about that because I thought that was a very creative thing that you guys wrote about in your paper. That there would be an industry user fee to help produce this oversight. Tell us what you had in mind with that. And then then convince me that FDA would appropriately use this oversight and do its job. So, the idea in the paper was proposing a comprehensive user fee program for the food branch of the FDA. The FDA currently collects user fees for all of human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, etc. With Tobacco, it's a hundred percent funded by user fees. But food, it only gets 1% of its funding through user fees. And it's important to note user fees fund processes. They don't fund outcomes. It's not like a bribe. And the idea behind user fees and why industry sometimes supports them is actually to bring predictability to the regulatory state. It brings efficiency to reviews. And then this all allows the industry to anticipate timelines so they can bring products to market and know when they're going be able to do it. In the food context, for example, the FDA is required to respond to those food additives petitions that we talked about within 180 days. But they can't respond in time. And they have a lot of timelines that are required of them in the food context that they can't meet. They can't meet their timelines because they're so underfunded. So, we proposed a comprehensive user fee. But one of the main reasons that we think a user fee is important is to address the pre-market issues that I talked about and the post-market issues that Emily talked about. In order to close that GRAS loophole, first of all, FDA needs to either reevaluate its authorities or Congress needs to change its authorities. But it would need resources to be able to do something pre-market. Some of the ideas we had was that the user fee would fund some type of either pre-market review, pre-market notification, or even just a pre-market system where the FDA determines whether a proposed ingredient should go through the GRAS avenue, or through food additive petition. So at least that there will be some type of pre-market oversight over all the ingredients in the food supply. And then also the FDA is so severely lacking in any type of comprehensive post-market into play, they would have the resources to engage in a more comprehensive post-market review for all the ingredients. Could you see a time, and I bring this up because of lawsuits against the food industry for some of these additives that are going on now. The state attorney's generals are starting to get involved, and as you said, Emily, the some states are taking legislative action to ban certain things in the food supply. Do you think there could come a time when the industry will come to government pleading to have a user fee like this? To provide some standardization across jurisdictions, let's say? So, there's two things. The first is Congress has to pass the user fee, and historically, actually, industry has done exactly what you said. They have gone to Congress and said, you know what? We want user fees because we want a streamlined system, and we want to be able to know when we're bringing products to market. The problem in the context of food for the issues we're talking about is that right now they can use the GRAS loophole. So, they have very little incentive to ask for user fees if they can bring all their ingredients into the market through the GRAS loophole. There are other areas where a user fee is very relevant, such as the infant formula 90 day pre-market notification, or for different claims like health claims. They might want user fees to speed those things up, but in terms of the ingredients, unless we close the GRAS loophole, they'd have little incentive to actually come to the table. But wouldn't legal liability change that? Let's say that some of these lawsuits are successful and they start having to pay large settlements or have the State Attorneys General, for example, come down on them for these kinds of things. If they're legally liable for harm, they're causing, they need cover. And wouldn't this be worth the user fee to provide them cover for what they put in the food supply? Yes, it's great to have the flexibility to have all these things get through the loophole, but it'd be great as well to have some cover so you wouldn't have so much legal exposure. But you guys are the lawyers, so I'm not sure it makes sense. I think you're right that there are forces combining out in the world that are pushing for change here. And I think it's hard to disentangle how much is it that industry's pushing for user fees versus right now I think more willing to consider federal regulatory changes by either FDA or by Congress. At the state level this is huge. There's now becoming a patchwork across states, and I think that is really difficult for industry. We were tracking this year 93 bills in 35 states that either banned an additive in the general public, banned it in schools. Banned ultra-processed foods, which most of the states, interestingly, have all defined differently. But where they have had a definition, it's been tied to various different combinations of additives. So that's going on. And then I think you're right, that the legal cases moving along will push industry to really want clear and better standards. I think there's a good question right now around like how successful will some of these efforts be? But  what we are seeing is real movement, both in FDA and in Congress, in taking action on this. So interestingly, the Health Affairs piece that we worked on was out this spring. But we had this other piece that came out last fall and felt like we were screaming into the void about this is a problem generally recognized as safe as a really big issue. And suddenly that has really changed. And so, you know, in March FDA said they were directed by RFK (Robert F. Kennedy), by HHS (Health and Human Services) to really look into changing their rule on generally recognized as safe. So, I know that's underway. And then in Congress, multiple bills have been introduced. And I know there are several in the works that would address additives and specifically, generally recognized as safe. There's this one piece going on, which is there's forces coalescing around some better method of regulation. I think the question's really going to also be like, will Congress give adequate resources? Because there is also another scenario that I'm worried about that even if FDA said we're going now require at least notification for every substance that's generally recognized as safe. It's a flood of substances. And they just, without more resources, without more staff devoted to this, there's no way that they're going to be able to wade through that. So, I think that either the resources need to come from user fees, or at least partially from user fees, from more appropriations and I think, In my opinion, they are able to do that on their own. Even given where current administrative law stands. Because I think it's very clear that the gist of the statute is that FDA should be overseeing additives. And I think a court would say this is allowing everything to instead go through this alternative pathway. But I really think FDA's going to need resources to manage this. And perhaps more of a push from Congress to make sure that they really do it to the best of their ability. I was going to say there's also an alternative world where we don't end up spending any of these resources, and they require the industry just to disclose all the ingredients they've added to food and put it on a database. This is like low hanging fruit, not very expensive, doesn't require funding. And then the NGOs, I hope, would go to work and say, look at this. There is no safety data for these ingredients. You know, because right now we just can't rely on FDA to do anything unless they get more funding to do something. So, if FDA doesn't get funding, then maybe this database where houses every ingredient that's in the food supply as a requirement could be a low resource solution. Jennifer, I'll come back to you in a minute because I'd like to ask how worried should we be about all this stuff that's going into food. But Emily, let me ask you first, does FDA have the authority to do what it needs to do? Let's say all of a sudden that your wish was granted and there were user fees would it then be able to do what needs to be done? I think certainly to be able to charge these user fees in almost all areas, it right now doesn't have that authority, and Congress would need to act. There's one small area which is within the Food Safety Modernization Act for certain types of like repeat inspections or recalls or there's a couple other. FDA isn't charging fees right now because they haven't taken this one step that they need to take. But they do have the authority if they just take those steps. But for everything else, Congress has to act. I think the real question to me is because we now know so many of these substances are going through this GRAS pathway, the question is really can they do everything they need to do on their own to close that loophole? And again, my opinion is Congress could make it clear and if Congress were to act, it would be better. Like they could redefine it in a way that was much more clear that we are drawing a real line. And most things actually should be on the additive side of the line rather than the generally recognized as safe side of the line. But even with their current authority, with the current definition, I think FDA could at least require notification because they're still drawing a line between what's required for additives, which is a very lengthy pre-market process with, you know, a notice and comment procedure and all of these things. My take is FDA do what you can do now. Let's get the show on the road. Let's take steps here to close up the loophole. And then Congress takes time. But they definitely can even strengthen this and give a little more, I think, directives to FDA as to how to make sure that this loophole doesn't recur down the line. In talks that I've given recently, I've shown an ingredient list from a food that people will recognize. And I ask people to try to guess what that food is from its ingredient list. This particular food has 35 ingredients. You know, a bunch of them that are very hard to pronounce. Very few people would even have any idea at all what those ingredients do. There's no sense at all about how ingredient number 17 would interact with ingredient 31, etc. And it just seems like it's complete chaos. And I don't want to take you guys outside your comfort zone because your backgrounds are law. But Jennifer, let me ask you this. You have a background in public health as well. There are all kinds of reasons to be worried about this, aren't there? There are the concerns about the safety of these things, but then there's a concern about what these ultra-processed ingredients do to your metabolism, your ability to control your weight, to regulate your hunger and things like that. It sounds this is a really important thing. And it's affecting almost everybody in the country. The percentage of calories that are now coming from ultra-processed foods is over 50% in both children and adults. So it sounds like there's really reason to worry. Would you agree? Yes. And also, the FDA is supposed to be overseeing the cumulative effects of the ingredients and it doesn't actually enforce that regulation. Its own regulation that it's supposed to evaluate the cumulative effects. It doesn't actually enforce this. So by cumulative effects do you mean the chronic effects of long term use? And, having these ingredients across multiple products within one person's consumption. Also, the FDA doesn't look at things like the effect on the gut microbiome, neurotoxicity, even cancer risk, even though they're supposed to, they say that if something is GRAS, they don't need to look at it because cancer risk is relegated only to food additives. So here we're at a real issue, right? Because if everything's entering through the GRAS loophole, then they're not looking at carcinogen effects. So, I think there is a big risk and as Emily had said earlier, that these are sometimes long-term risks versus that acute example of tara flour that we don't know. And we do know from the science, both older and emerging science, that ultra-processed food has definite impact on not only consumption, increased consumption, but also on diet related diseases and other health effects. And by definition what we're talking about here are ultra-processed foods. These ingredients are only found in ultra-processed foods. So, we do know that there is cause for concern. It's interesting that you mentioned the microbiome because we've recorded a cluster of podcasts on the microbiome and another cluster of podcasts on artificial sweeteners. Those two universes overlap a good bit because the impact of the artificial sweeteners on some of them, at least on the microbiome, is really pretty negative. And that's just one thing that goes into these foods. It really is pretty important. By the way, that food with 35 ingredients that I mentioned is a strawberry poptart. Jennifer: I know that answer! Emily: How do you know that? Jennifer: Because I've seen Kelly give a million talks. Yes, she has. Emily: I was wondering, I was like, are we never going to find out? So the suspense is lifted. Let me end with this. This has been highly instructive, and I really appreciate you both weighing in on this. So let me ask each of you, is there reason to be optimistic that things could improve. Emily, I'll start with you. So, I've been giving this talk the past few months that's called basically like Chronic Disease, Food Additives and MAHA, like What Could Go Right and What Could Go Wrong. And so, I'm going give you a very lawyerly answer, which is, I feel optimistic because there's attention on the issue. I think states are taking action and there's more attention to this across the political spectrum, which both means things are happening and means that the narrative changing, like people are getting more aware and calling for change in a way that we weren't seeing. On the flip side, I think there's a lot that could go wrong. You know, I think some of the state bills are great and some of them are maybe not so great. And then I think this administration, you have an HHS and FDA saying, they're going to take action on this in the midst of an administration that's otherwise very deregulatory. In particular, they're not supposed to put out new regulations if they can get rid of 10 existing ones. There are some things you can do through guidance and signaling, but I don't think you can really fix these issues without like real durable legislative change. So, I'm sorry to be one of the lawyers here. I think the signals are going in the right direction, but jury is out a little bit on how well we'll actually do. And I hope we can do well given the momentum. What do you think, Jennifer? I agree that the national attention is very promising to these issues. The states are passing laws that are shocking to me. That Texas passing a warning label law, I would never have thought in the history of the world, that Texas would be the one to pass a warning label law. They're doing great things and I actually have hope that something can come of this. But I am concerned at the federal level of the focus on deregulation may make it impossible. User fees is an example of where they won't have to regulate, but they could provide funding to the FDA to actually act in areas that it has the authority to act. That is one solution that could actually work under this administration if they were amenable to it. But I also think in some ways the states could save us. I worry, you know, Emily brought up the patchwork, which is the key term the industry uses to try to get preemption. I do worry about federal preemption of state actions. But the states right now are the ones saving us. California is the first to save the whole nation. The food industry isn't going to create new food supply for California and then the rest of the country. And then it's the same with other states. So, the states might be the ones that actually can make some real meaningful changes and get some of the most unsafe ingredients out of the food supply, which some of the states have now successfully done. Bios Emily Broad Leib is a Clinical Professor of Law, Director of Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, and Founding Director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, the nation's first law school clinic devoted to providing legal and policy solutions to the health, economic, and environmental challenges facing our food system. Working directly with clients and communities, Broad Leib champions community-led food system change, reduction in food waste, food access and food is medicine interventions, and equity and sustainability in food production. Her scholarly work has been published in the California Law Review, Wisconsin Law Review, Harvard Law & Policy Review, Food & Drug Law Journal, and Journal of Food Law & Policy, among others. Professor Jennifer Pomeranz is a public health lawyer who researches policy and legal options to address the food environment, obesity, products that cause public harm, and social injustice that lead to health disparities. Prior to joining the NYU faculty, Professor Pomeranz was an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health at Temple University and in the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple. She was previously the Director of Legal Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. She has also authored numerous peer-reviewed and law review journal articles and a book, Food Law for Public Health, published by Oxford University Press in 2016. Professor Pomeranz leads the Public Health Policy Research Lab and regularly teaches Public Health Law and Food Policy for Public Health.

This week we discuss dangers in the beauty industry.  From a client's perspective, the issues might not be as severe, but the clinicians who must deal with chemicals day in and day out are at a greater risk.  The average woman uses 12 different beauty products every day — cleansers, conditioners, hair dyes, fragrances, skin care products, scented lotions, nail polish, and makeup, to name a few. Take a quick glance at the labels, and you'll see a cocktail of chemical components. You might assume that all these ingredients have been tested to ensure that they're safe for long-term use. That's not the case. At least on the federal level, no one is checking to make sure that the chemicals you're putting on your body are harmless. "Products are tested to make sure they don't cause short-term problems, such as skin irritation. But they're not tested for long-term safety," says Dr. Kathryn M. Rexrode, associate professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. The FDA steps in only if people actually complain about a product because they suspect it harmed them. Prior to that, the onus is on the company alone. ​​"Just because it's on your shelf doesn't mean that it's safe," says Tamarra James-Todd, the Mark and Catherine Winkler Assistant Professor of Environmental Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. With this in mind, women should take some time to consider what they're putting on their bodies each day and how it could potentially affect their health, she says. ​Hair dye and breast cancer There's reason for concern about many of the chemicals in popular personal care products on the market today. Case in point: a study published online Dec. 3, 2019, by the International Journal of Cancer found a link between hair dye and breast cancer. Women in the study who used permanent hair dye at least once in the 12-month period leading up to the study had a 9% higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who didn't use hair dye. And when the study authors broke the findings down by race, they found an even higher risk for African American women. Women in that group who used any permanent dye in the previous 12 months had a 45% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared with women who did not use hair dye. It didn't seem to matter how often or for how many years the women had used the dye. The findings were not surprising, says James-Todd. "We conducted a study a year ago in which we saw similar findings for hair dyes," she says. Some hair care products contain more than 5,000 chemicals, including some known to disrupt the body's natural hormone balance or to have cancer-causing effects in animals, according to study authors. Even so, studies looking at hair dyes in the past have been a mixed bag, with some finding links between health problems and dye use, and others finding no link. The differences found in more recent studies, says James-Todd, may be due to the fact that they are testing different products. Today's products use different chemicals than older formulations, which were not linked to health risks in some previous studies. ​Analyzing the study results Authors of the 2019 study drew on data from the Sister Study, which enrolled more than 50,000 women — the healthy sisters of women with breast cancer — ages 35 to 74. The study ran from 2003 to 2009 and used questionnaires, which were updated every three years. The surveys included questions about how often women used hair dye, as well as what colors and types of dye they used and whether it was permanent or semi-permanent. The study also used information gathered about other hair products, specifically chemicals used to straighten hair. The average follow-up period for the study was a little over eight years, and the current analysis included information gathered through 2016. The analysis also linked hair straightening products to a higher risk of breast cancer. These chemical products were associated with an 18% higher risk of breast cancer in women who used them in the 12 months before the study period. The more often women used straightener, the higher the risk. Women who used the products every five to eight weeks had a 31% higher risk of going on to develop breast cancer compared with nonusers. Although African American women in the study were more likely than others to use straighteners, the increase in breast cancer risk was similar for all races. There didn't appear to be an elevated breast cancer risk among women who used semi-permanent dyes, except among women who used the dyes at home. Researchers speculated this may be because they were more likely to get the dye on their skin, or to use the dyes in spaces that weren't well ventilated, leading them to breathe in higher amounts of chemicals. ​Change your beauty standard It may not be easy to let your hair go gray and to embrace your wrinkles, but it's a cultural shift women should consider. Being healthy is beautiful, and women should challenge the cultural standard of beauty. "It's about being comfortable with these changes and changing what's acceptable," says Tamarra James-Todd, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "We should start teaching our children, teaching the next generation, that you should embrace the different stages of your life and not try to alter that." ​Interpreting the study results It's important to note that all the participants in the 2019 hair dye study were deemed to have a high risk for breast cancer because their sisters had the disease. This means that the findings might not apply to the average population. However, because this particular study already focused on a group of women that were at high risk because of family history, it's likely that the additional elevated risk seen in African American women was not due to genetic factors, says James-Todd. It's more likely to reflect environmental factors, such as differences in the chemicals used in products typically marketed to these women, she says. In the past, scientists have found higher concentrations of problematic hormone-disrupting chemicals in products marketed to African American women, said study authors. In addition, they noted that breast cancer rates have been increasing in recent years among African American women, who are more often diagnosed with aggressive types of breast cancer and are more likely to die from the disease. ​What to take from the study So, does this mean that women should stop using hair color entirely? Dr. Rexrode says it's too soon to say. "Over all, I don't tell people never to dye their hair again based on this paper. But a 40% increased risk is large enough for concern," she says. So, the findings also shouldn't be ignored, and the topic warrants more study. For the average woman in the study (that is, one whose sister had breast cancer), exposure to hair dye increased her baseline risk of breast cancer, she says. While there are certain breast cancer risk factors that you can't control, such as your family history or how old you were when you started menstruating, you can choose your hair products and how often you use them. ​Reducing your chemical exposure While researchers continue to look into this issue, James-Todd and Dr. Rexrode say there are several steps you can take to reduce potential risks related to personal care products. Do your research. When choosing a product, look at the label to see what chemicals it contains, and determine if it's something you want to use. Organizations such as the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) have analyzed many common products and provide information about potential safety concerns. The organization ranks some common beauty products on a scale from 1 to 10, from those generally thought to be safe to those that contain chemicals that raise more concerns, says James-Todd. "Find out as much as you can about what you are using," she says. ​Find safer alternatives. If products you are currently using contain potentially harmful chemicals, switch to a safer option if one is available. The nonprofit Silent Spring Institute has a smartphone app called Detox Me that you can use in the store to scan product barcodes. If a safer option is available, it will let you know. It also offers a Detox Me Action Kit, which allows you to send a urine sample to have your chemical exposure levels tested to get an idea of how your levels compare to others in the United States. The kit also gives you ideas on how to reduce your exposure. ​Be skeptical of product claims. Many companies are legitimately working to develop safer products, but some manufacturer claims are dubious. Many companies will remove chemicals that have been highlighted as problematic, such as bisphenol-A or phthalates (chemicals known to be endocrine disrupters, substances that mimic or suppress human hormones). But they may then replace those chemicals with ones that are equally problematic. So, the products aren't really safer, and in some cases, they may be even worse than the original, says James-Todd. Pare down. While it may be tempting to fill your bathroom shelves with all the latest lotions and potions, making more judicious choices may be a better option. Limiting your options to products you consider essential can reduce your exposure. "For example, I love perfume, but I don't wear it anymore," says James-Todd. ​Go natural. Many beauty treatments can be mixed up in your kitchen. Look online for recipes for natural skin and hair treatments. But be aware that some "natural" consumer products can also bring health risks. For example, essential oils are often recommended as an alternative to perfumes and fragrances. But some, in particular lavender and tea tree oils, have estrogenic properties that can pose some of the same health risks as their chemically laden counterparts, says James-Todd. Natural does not always mean safer. ​The bottom line: "Women should be thinking carefully about the products they use," says Dr. Rexrode. "And I think we should be demanding more information about their safety." ( Credits:  Harvard Health)  

This week, Dee dives into the ​recently released Environmental Working Group's (EWG) 2025 ​Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, commonly known as "The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen ​List​s", with a spotlight on blackberries—a new addition to the Dirty Dozen​ list, coming in at number ten. Listen in as Dee explains why blackberries made the list for the first time this year, ​and delves into the other produce items on both the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Lists to help ​you make safer, cleaner decisions for your plate and your health.References: Blackberries: Dirty Dozen newcomer. (2025, June 11). Environmental Working Group. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/blackberries.php?Get a downloadable copy of the EWG's 2025 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce (Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 Lists):  https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Most of us focus on the obvious when it comes to wellness, what we eat, how we move, and how much we rest. But there's another daily habit that could quietly be affecting our health: the water we drink. We often think about diet, exercise, and even sleep when it comes to our health, but how often do we think about our water? In this episode, I talk with Cydian Kaufman, water quality expert CEO of Pure Water Northwest, about what's really in your tap water and how it could be affecting your energy, skin, and long-term health. Cydian explains the difference between “legal” and “healthy” water standards and shares practical tips on improving your water at home, from reverse osmosis systems to dealing with PFAS and other hidden contaminants. Know what you drink. Tune in now. --- Listen to the podcast here: Tapping into Health and Water Wellness with Cydian Kauffman Welcome to Action's Antidotes, your antidote to the mindset that keeps you settling for less. Growing up on Long Island, my family, we always used some form of a water filter. It was always –– it was before Brita but there was a predecessor to it, now a lot of people use Brita, or we would use bottled water. However, living in Denver, we recently had a project where we reconstructed our water pipelines to get the lead out of the water. Since then, I've actually drank all my water out of the tap here in Denver, Colorado. Whether that's the right decision or not, I am not sure, so I'm going to introduce to you my guest, Cydian Kauffman, who is one of the owners of Pure Northwest Water, to tell me about water as well as whether or not I'm making the right decision with this current situation. ---   Cydian, welcome to the program.   Thanks for having me on. Appreciate being here. It's Pure Water Northwest, by the way, just so you know. I love talking about water. I'd be happy to jump right in and talk about Denver specifically, if you like, however you want to approach it.   Yeah, I mean, I didn't know. All I do remember is that a few years ago, they reconstructed the pipelines here in Denver and they said the project was to get the lead out of the water and that, since then, I've, at least, in my head, felt like just drinking the water out of the tap was perfectly fine.    It might be. What zip code are you in? What, if you don't mind saying that?   Oh, wow. Yeah, we're getting fine-tuned here. I'm in 80205.   Right. Let's get specific. So, you're on the Denver Water Board, water quality ––   Yeah, but I'm not elected to any water position here. I just ––   Yeah, I know. I mean, you're on the main water in Denver, Colorado,   Yeah, I assume. I mean, I'm only like a mile and a half east of downtown.   All right, so if you look up, and most people in the country can do this, you can actually go look up water quality reports for whatever water quality you're on, and there's two ways to go about this. One is to just literally look up the water quality report for your municipality, which I've got right in front of me, two seconds of doing a Google search, I got the Denver Water Quality Report. Yeah, that's going to bring you to a page with a bunch of lists of what they do and how they do it and, eventually, you're going to get to exact contaminants that they test for and their results. If you don't want to just take their word for it, though, you can go to a website called the EWG, the Environmental Working Group, then go to their tap water database, type in your zip code and find your municipality that way, and then you can kind of compare those two. Now, unfortunately for most people, this is going to be more annoying than good experience because there's so much confusion in these lists, like what does it mean to have eight parts per billion of bromodichloromethane, which happens to be in Denver water. If you talk to someone like myself, we will know right away, bromodichloromethane,

Understanding the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15: A Guide to Healthier Produce Choices: Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) 2025 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Highlighting the importance of making informed produce choices, Leyal explains the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15, which list the most and least contaminated fruits and vegetables, respectively. Key findings include the presence of harmful pesticides in 75% of non-organic produce and the health risks associated with pesticide exposure. Leyla offers practical tips on reducing pesticide intake, such as opting for organic produce, washing fruits and vegetables, and utilizing frozen options when fresh organic produce is unavailable.

In this episode of The Matt Feret Show I interview Therese Forton-Barnes, a green-living expert, advocate, and business owner. Therese and I discuss her mission of detoxifying American households, and she identifies the top products mindful consumers may want to avoid. Therese shares insight into her process of downsizing toxins in her home and provides helpful resources listeners can explore to learn more about the ingredients in their cleaning supplies, drinking water, and health and beauty products. Watch this podcast on YouTube.Introduction to Therese Forton-Barnes [1:09]Health Starts in the Home with Therese Forton-Barnes [5:46]Products to Minimize in the Home with Therese Forton-Barnes [9:45]Monitoring the Air Quality in Your Home with Therese Forton-Barnes [28:06]Common Air Pollutants in the Home with Therese Forton-Barnes [30:58]Chemical Content of Personal Products with Therese Forton-Barnes [42:17]How to Minimize Chemicals in Water with Therese Forton-Barnes [57:38]Connect with me via the podcast website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.Check out Therese's Green Living Guru's website, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon storefront.Explore green-living resources Environmental Working Group Tap Water Database, Environmental Working Group, Made-Safe.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025Today, the government failed to file its privilege log on time in the Abrego Garcia case prompting Judge Xinis to order them to file it; a trump appointed judge in Pennsylvania becomes the first to call Trumps invocation of the Alien Enemies Act lawful; the USDA reverses course and commits to restore purged climate webpages in response to a lawsuit brought by farmers; more than a dozen states slapped the Trump administration with two new lawsuits on Tuesday accusing it of withholding funding in retaliation for immigration policies; Chuck Schumer says he is placing a hold on Trump DOJ nominees amid questions on Qatar's luxury jet gift; the FBI has been ordered to prioritize immigration as DOJ scales back white collar cases; and a magistrate judge cautioned Trump's DoJ on making public statements about the mayor of Newark; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.Thank You, Helix27% Off Sitewide plus Free Bedding Bundle with any Luxe or Elite Mattress Order, when you go to HelixSleep.com/dailybeansThank You, Fast Growing TreesGet 15% off your first purchase.  FastGrowingTrees.com/dailybeansThank you to our thousands and thousands of sustaining members, and please join us and support independent media at patreon.com/muellershewrote for as little as $3 a month.MSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlueGuest: Claudia BrachoUrban Peace InstituteDonate - Urban Peace InstituteUrban Peace Institute - YouTube; @urbanpeaceinst - Bluesky; @UrbanPeaceInst - twitter; @urbanpeaceinstitute - InstagramStories:A New Jersey mayor's arrest at ICE facility fires up Democrats from New York to Chicago | POLITICOFBI ordered to prioritize immigration, as DOJ scales back white collar cases | ReutersStates accuse Trump administration of holding emergency relief hostage over immigration policy | Courthouse News ServiceChuck Schumer says he is placing a hold on Trump DOJ nominees amid questions on Qatar's luxury jet gift | NBC NewsUSDA Reverses Course, Commits to Restore Purged Climate Webpages in Response to Farmers' Lawsuit | EarthjusticeGood Trouble:RFK Jr just tweeted the following message: “If you know a regulation that's making our health system worse, not better-tell us. Submit your ideas at regulations.gov/deregulation. We're listening. In order to Make America Healthy Again, providers and caretakers must have the critical opportunity to focus on preventing and treating chronic diseases. Their time and talent should not be spent doing unnecessary or burdensome paperwork”Find Upcoming Demonstrations And Actions:50501 MovementJune 14th Nationwide Demonstrations - NoKings.orgIndivisible.orgShare your Good News or Good Trouble:dailybeanspod.com/goodFrom The Good NewsDepeche Mode.comDepeche Mode - YouTubeDepeche Mode - Where's the Revolution (Official Video)House of Black Cat MagicReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Federal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.Share your Good News or Good Trouble:https://www.dailybeanspod.com/good/ Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewrote , Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote,Dana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

What if you could slow down aging and stay energized for decades longer? Kayla Barnes-Lentz—Top Biohacker, Longevity Expert, and Founder of LYV The Wellness Space—has done exactly that. Her biological age is 10 years younger than her real age, and she's here to share how you can do it too. Kayla gets into simple but powerful biohacks—how sleep, food, and even your hormones play a huge role in how you age. Plus, Kayla shares her own routine, from lab tests to cutting-edge treatments that might just help you live to 150. If you've ever wondered how to stay sharp, strong, and full of life for years to come, you won't want to miss this. Tune in and get the inside scoop! Key Timestamps [00:00:00] Introduction. [00:02:48] The truth about biological age testing. [00:03:48] Is longevity escape velocity a myth? [00:08:25] Hyperbaric therapy—does it work? [00:11:11] What grip strength reveals about your lifespan. [00:13:16] Hidden toxins affecting your health daily. [00:17:24] Morning habits for a longer life. [00:19:50] Why VO2 max matters for women. [00:26:00] Redefining joy: How health impacts true happiness. [00:29:02] Sleep needs most women ignore. [00:30:33] How to align your nutrition with your cycle. [00:34:25] Healthy habits women can start focusing on. [00:35:03] Fasting for women – is this good or bad? [00:37:51] How fun changes as you age. [00:41:45] The real secret to a longer, better life. [00:44:05] EMFs—should you be worried? [00:48:02] Can your bed improve your health? [00:51:03] Ovarian longevity—what to know. [00:55:00] The role of relationships in long-term health. [01:00:05] The ultimate health blueprint for women. Memorable Quotes "We have our chronological age, which is the number on the calendar. But your biological age, like the age of your internal speed, doesn't have to match that. It can be older, or it can actually be younger." — Kayla Barnes-Lentz "I don't want to just live to 150 to live to 150. I want to live to 150 and be vibrant and have energy. So, no, I certainly don't want to live longer just for the sake of living longer. I want to live longer in good health." — Kayla Barnes-Lentz Where to Find Our Guest Website: https://www.kaylabarnes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylabarnes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KaylaBarnesLentz Other links mentioned in the episode: Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/ To stay connected and to learn more about Vishen and Mindvalley, click on the links below:  Website: https://www.mindvalley.com/about Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindvalley/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindvalley Become the best version of yourself with the world's most effective transformation platform. Join Mindvalley Membership Today: https://start.mindvalley.com/membership Produced by Evolved Podcasting: https://www.evolvedpodcasting.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry Truman once proclaimed: “No man should be president who doesn't understand hogs.”That might explain the calamitous mess that President Trump-Musk is making of our government today. Clearly, Don and Elon know nothing about four-legged farm animals, but they certainly know how to squeeze government to fatten their own two-legged breed of corporate swine. Thus, the billionaire hucksters are bulldozing agencies that serve people's real needs, while preserving those that subsidize corporate greed.For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A once-proud agency created by Abraham Lincoln to serve tillers of the soil, but USDA today has become a bottomless feeding trough for agribusiness giants and other financial powers that “till” taxpayers.Our country's Farm Program, meant to be a safety net for hands-on dirt farmers, is now a $20-billion-a-year subsidy that pays zero to the vast majority of farm families. Instead, 75 percent of our money goes to the biggest and richest 10 percent of corporate fiefdoms, including billionaire speculators who never get any dirt under their fingernails.Actually, the Trump-Musk chainsaw crew is whacking some USDA programs—such as food stamps for poor families, helping school districts buy from local farmers and ranchers, and other efforts providing modest help to grassroots people and communities. But not a peep from the duo about the bales of taxpayer cash hauled every year to their own class of rich elites.This is Jim Hightower saying… A Department of Agriculture is as needed today as in Lincoln's time. But an honest overhaul is necessary to return it to its democratic roots of serving the workaday people of rural America, freeing it from the corporate interests now running roughshod over those same people. For more information, go to Environmental Working Group at ewg.org.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Are the products you use every day poisoning you? In this episode of Super Life, Darin Olien dives into phthalates, a class of toxic chemicals found in food packaging, personal care products, medical devices, and even children's toys. Despite mounting evidence linking phthalates to hormone disruption, infertility, obesity, and chronic illness, these chemicals remain largely unregulated in the United States. Darin breaks down why phthalates are everywhere, how they impact your body, and what you can do to protect yourself. He also highlights Minnesota's groundbreaking SF 188 bill, which aims to force food manufacturers to test and disclose phthalate contamination for the first time in U.S. history. If you care about your health, your family, and the toxic load in your daily life, this is a must-listen episode that will make you rethink what you're consuming. Government Responsibility in the Spread of Phthalates Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and durable. Since the mid-20th century, they've been incorporated into countless consumer goods, from food packaging to personal care products. This widespread use is largely due to regulatory inaction and the prioritization of industrial interests over public health. In the United States, agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been slow to regulate phthalates, despite mounting evidence linking them to serious health issues. These include endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, and chronic illnesses such as obesity and diabetes. Unlike Europe, which has banned certain phthalates in food packaging and children's products, the U.S. has often allowed industry self-regulation, leading to widespread contamination in consumer goods. The Industrial Agricultural Revolution and Processed Foods The post-World War II industrialization of food production significantly increased the use of phthalates. As food manufacturing scaled up, plastics became integral in packaging and processing equipment, leading to phthalate leaching into our food supply. Highly processed foods are particularly susceptible due to multiple points of plastic contact during production and storage. Studies have shown that individuals consuming more processed and fast foods have higher levels of phthalates in their bodies. Minnesota's Legislative Action: A Step Forward In January 2025, Minnesota State Senator Heather Gustafson introduced Senate File 188 (SF 188), a bill requiring food manufacturers to test their products for phthalates and publicly disclose the results. If passed, this legislation would be the first of its kind in the U.S., aiming to increase transparency and encourage manufacturers to reduce phthalate levels in their products. According to Senator Gustafson, "Minnesotans have the right to know whether the food they are eating and serving their families is contaminated with toxic phthalates. My bill will help consumers make healthier buying decisions and create a strong incentive for food manufacturers to get plastic chemicals out of our food."  advocacy.consumerreports.org Why This Matters This bill is crucial because it: Increases Transparency: For the first time, food companies would be required to test for and disclose phthalate levels, creating public awareness of the contamination problem. Encourages Stricter Regulations: Public disclosure could lead to consumer pressure for stronger nationwide bans and restrictions. Prioritizes Public Health: It challenges the longstanding prioritization of industry preferences over public health, acknowledging that chemical exposure is a public health crisis. Addresses Chronic Illness: With rising rates of metabolic disorders and hormone-related diseases linked to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates, holding manufacturers accountable is a step toward reversing this trend. Products Commonly Containing Phthalates and Associated Health Risks Phthalates are pervasive in many consumer products. Here's a breakdown of common sources and the potential health implications: Personal Care Products: Items such as nail polishes, hair sprays, aftershave lotions, cleansers, and shampoos often contain phthalates.  fda.gov Food Packaging and Processed Foods: Phthalates can leach into food from packaging materials and during processing. Diets high in dairy and meat have been associated with higher levels of phthalate exposure.  webmd.com Medical Devices: Some medical devices, including intravenous bags and tubing, contain phthalates to increase flexibility.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Household Items: Products like vinyl flooring, shower curtains, and certain furniture may contain phthalates.  toxicfreefuture.org Children's Toys: Some toys, especially those made from flexible plastics, can contain phthalates.  toxicfreefuture.org   Health Risks Associated with Phthalate Exposure Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with the body's hormonal systems. Potential health effects include: Reproductive Issues: Exposure has been linked to reproductive problems, including reduced fertility.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Developmental Problems: Prenatal exposure may lead to developmental issues in children.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Respiratory Issues: There is evidence suggesting a link between phthalate exposure and respiratory problems, such as asthma.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Metabolic Effects: Some studies have associated phthalate exposure with metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance and obesity.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov   Steps to Reduce Phthalate Exposure To minimize exposure to phthalates: Choose Phthalate-Free Products: Opt for personal care items labeled as phthalate-free. Limit Processed Food Intake: Reducing consumption of processed foods can decrease phthalate exposure. Use Alternatives to Plastic: Whenever possible, choose glass, stainless steel, or other non-plastic materials for food storage and household items. Stay Informed: Regularly check resources like the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database to find products free from harmful chemicals. How You Can Take Action While Minnesota is leading the way, collective action is essential to drive nationwide change. Here are steps you can take: Support the Bill: If you're in Minnesota, contact your state legislators to express support for SF 188. You can find more information and track the bill's progress here. Sign Petitions: Look for petitions advocating for the reduction of phthalates in consumer products and add your voice. Stay Informed: Follow organizations like Consumer Reports and Clean Water Action, which are actively involved in this issue. Reduce Personal Exposure: Limit consumption of highly processed foods, use glass or stainless steel for food storage, and avoid products with "fragrance" listed as an ingredient, as it can be a source of phthalates. Active Petition to Support Minnesota's SF 188 As of now, there isn't a specific petition available for Minnesota's SF 188 bill. However, you can take proactive steps to support this legislation: Contact Legislators: Reach out to Minnesota state legislators to express your support for SF 188. Personalized messages can be impactful. Stay Informed: Monitor the bill's progress through the Minnesota Revisor's Office website. Conclusion Minnesota's initiative is a significant step toward addressing the pervasive issue of phthalate contamination. However, true accountability requires federal-level bans, a shift toward non-toxic alternatives, and a rethinking of industrial food production. By staying informed and taking action, we can collectively push for a healthier future.   Bibliography Consumer Reports. "Minnesota Senator Gustafson introduces bill to protect consumers from toxic plastic chemicals in food." January 21, 2025.  advocacy.consumerreports.org Food Safety Magazine. "Bill Introduced in Minnesota to Require Phthalate Testing for Packaged Foods." January 21, 2025.  food-safety.com Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. "SF 188 as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025)."  revisor.mn.gov Food & Wine. "Minnesota Just Became the First State to Target Plastic Chemicals in Food." January 22, 2025.  foodandwine.com Thank you for joining us on "SuperLife with Darin Olien." Let's continue to strive for a healthier, more informed world.   Research Summaries: "Phthalates and Their Impacts on Human Health" Authors: Ying Wang, Hongjun Zhu, and Yanan Kannan Summary: This study discusses the widespread use of phthalates as endocrine disruptors and their detrimental effects on human health. It highlights that phthalates are present in numerous products that come into contact with plastics during production, packaging, or delivery.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov "Critical Review on the Presence of Phthalates in Food and Evidence of Their Impact on Human Health" Authors: Giuseppe Latini, Valentina Del Vecchio, and Andrea Massaro Summary: This review examines the presence of phthalates in various foods and their potential health impacts, including their role in increasing the risk of developing allergies and asthma.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov "Why Phthalates Should Be Restricted or Banned from Consumer Products" Authors: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Summary: This article discusses how phthalates can leach into food from vinyl plastic equipment and materials, emphasizing the need for restrictions or bans due to associated health risks.  hsph.harvard.edu "Phthalates and Diet: A Review of the Food Monitoring and Epidemiology Data" Authors: Rolf U. Halden Summary: This review highlights epidemiological studies showing positive associations between the consumption of meats, discretionary fats, and dairy products with increased phthalate exposure.  ehjournal.biomedcentral.com "Personal Care Product Use Patterns in Association with Phthalate and Bisphenol A Exposure" Authors: Jessica T. Barson, John D. Meeker, and Kelly K. Ferguson Summary: This study investigates the relationship between personal care product usage and exposure to phthalates and BPA, finding significant associations that suggest these products are notable sources of exposure.  nature.com "What Are Phthalates and How Do They Affect Your Health?" Authors: National Center for Health Research Summary: This article provides an overview of phthalates as synthetic chemicals used to make plastics flexible and to add fragrance to products, discussing their role as endocrine disruptors and potential health effects, especially in young children.  center4research.org   Bibliography: Wang, Y., Zhu, H., & Kannan, Y. (2021). Phthalates and Their Impacts on Human Health. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 1-8.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Latini, G., Del Vecchio, V., & Massaro, A. (2020). Critical Review on the Presence of Phthalates in Food and Evidence of Their Impact on Human Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(16), 5655.  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2019). Why Phthalates Should Be Restricted or Banned from Consumer Products.  hsph.harvard.edu Halden, R. U. (2014). Phthalates and Diet: A Review of the Food Monitoring and Epidemiology Data. Environmental Health, 13(1), 43.  ehjournal.biomedcentral.com Barson, J. T., Meeker, J. D., & Ferguson, K. K. (2023). Personal Care Product Use Patterns in Association with Phthalate and Bisphenol A Exposure. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 33(1), 45-54.  nature.com National Center for Health Research. (2021). What Are Phthalates and How Do They Affect Your Health?.  center4research.org       What You'll Learn in This Episode: (00:00:00) Introduction – The toxic truth hiding in your everyday products. (00:03:19) What Are Phthalates? – The chemicals making plastics flexible (and your health fragile). (00:04:24) How Phthalates Get into Your Body – Food, air, water, and even medical devices. (00:05:50) The Devastating Health Effects of Phthalates – Endocrine disruption, infertility, and metabolic disease. (00:07:45) Why the U.S. Fails to Regulate Phthalates – The FDA, EPA, and corporate influence. (00:10:14) Why Europe Banned Phthalates (and the U.S. Didn't) – A look at the regulatory failures. (00:12:38) The Connection Between Phthalates & Infertility – How they are lowering sperm counts and harming pregnancy. (00:15:10) Processed Foods & Fast Foods—A Phthalate Hotspot – Why eating out could be dosing you with toxins. (00:18:49) The Hidden Dangers in Medical Devices – Why even hospitals aren't safe. (00:21:20) Minnesota's Groundbreaking SF 188 Bill – Why this legislation could change everything. (00:24:30) How Phthalates Are Even in Your Children's Toys – The shocking reality parents need to know. (00:27:15) The Impact of Phthalates on Weight Gain & Diabetes – How they disrupt metabolism. (00:30:07) The Fight for Transparency in the Food Industry – What's being done to expose these chemicals. (00:33:12) How to Reduce Your Phthalate Exposure – Simple swaps to detox your home and body. (00:36:40) What You Can Do Today – Advocacy, petitions, and making informed choices. (00:40:12) The Call to Action – Why raising awareness is the key to change.     Thank You to Our Sponsors: Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Use code DARIN for 10% off at fromourplace.com. Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off     Find More From Darin: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences     Key Takeaway: "Phthalates are everywhere—but they don't have to be inside you. Awareness is power, and it's time to fight back against the toxic chemicals hiding in plain sight."

Listener Sommer calls in to ask why she can buy foods in her grocery store that other countries have banned. Trying to figure out what all the chemicals and dyes in her food might do to her has left her with one question: “Don't you care about us?” This week on Explain It to Me, host Jonquilyn Hill gets some answers (and a scary story about orange dye!) from Vox producer Kimberly Mas and the Environmental Working Group's Melanie Benesh. After taping this episode, we heard back from the FDA: “Some ingredients considered GRAS may not have been previously assessed by FDA but may be assessed as part of the post market program if information becomes available suggesting that an FDA assessment is warranted. We can and will do what is within our authority, but Congress ultimately sets our authorities. The law does not require companies to submit their GRAS conclusions or related dossiers to FDA. However, industry is responsible for ensuring the safety and regulatory status of the ingredients they add to food,” an FDA spokesperson told us. “We can challenge a GRAS conclusion, and we have determined that the uses of certain ingredients are not GRAS and that they are unapproved food additives … Only Congress can change the law to require FDA review of all food ingredients.” Election Day is less than a week away. To commiserate, we're producing a special episode featuring your election-related questions and experiences, from heading to the polls to processing the results. So save our number now 1-800-618-8545 and call us next week with what you suddenly need to know.  Read More: Why food recalls are everywhere right now Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Anouck Dussaud, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices