Take 3 steps to lower your risk of kidney disease
Dear Reader,
Would you trade the health of your kidneys for the convenience of a non-stick pan?
That may sound like a silly question, but what helped you to clean up in a jiffy likely means that your pot or pan was manufactured with one of a large group of man-made chemicals now known to cause kidney disease.
The compounds are called PFASs, and if all you had to do to steer clear of them was ditch a pan or two, saving your kidneys would be much simpler!
But while it’s not quite that easy, lowering your exposure isn’t all that difficult, either.
And when you hear what these chemicals can do to your body, taking three simple steps to boot them out of your life as much as possible will be something you’ll want to start doing right away!
These “miracle coatings” have been around for a long time. They first appeared decades ago as a solution for easily cleaning pots and pans. From there, they brought us the ease of stain-resistant carpeting and waterproof clothing.
But all of that came at a price. A big price.
We now know that PFAS chemicals are linked to low birth weight, thyroid problems, a lowering of immune function, and cancer.
And you can now add something else to that list: kidney disease.
A new analysis of over 70 studies even “surprised” the team of Duke University researchers with how much evidence was available to prove that connection. They found that PFAS compounds can reduce your kidney function, cause inflammation, damage renal blood vessels, and even set you up for kidney cancer.
And wait until you hear what else the Duke scientists revealed!
While the FDA has banned certain PFAS chemicals from being made in the U.S., it’s obvious that industry is simply playing a game of cat and mouse with the agency.
The companies that make these health-destroying compounds do so with tiny chemical variations that make detecting and regulating them “challenging.”
Despite that, taking these three steps will lower your exposure as much as humanly possible – something that’s especially vital for any kids in your home.
1. Toss the Teflon! Dump your old non-stick cookware and replace it with cast iron, stainless steel, glass, or even bakeware made from clay. The Teflon PFAS (called PFOA) was phased out several years ago. However, that doesn’t mean that other coated cookware is any safer.
2. Watch your water! A reverse-osmosis filter will help to significantly reduce your exposure to PFASs, which are now known to contaminate the drinking water of millions of Americans – along with a host of other toxins coming from your tap, like fluoride.
3. Clean carefully. Another way to bring PFAS chemicals into your home is with cleaning products. You won’t find them listed on the label, so your best bet is to use simple, natural ingredients for cleaning, such as vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, soap, and elbow grease!
These include NSAIDs for pain, proton pump inhibitors (such as Nexium and Prilosec), and certain antibiotics.
Although the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and K, aren’t recommended for kidney patients, B complex, C, and D most definitely are!
To a Chemical-Free Home,
Melissa Young
