Relax and slash your dementia risk by half

Sometimes, managing your risk of dementia feels like a full-time job…

You have to overhaul your diet, exercise daily, keep up with social engagements, play brain games, learn new skills — all in the hopes you’ll dodge a dementia diagnosis in your senior years. Frankly, it can get exhausting.

Jenny Smiechowski

But if you’re feeling burnt out on your dementia prevention plan, there is something you can do to recharge your battery right now while still cutting your dementia risk significantly — visit a sauna.

The latest research from Finland suggests that a little time in a steamy sauna can work wonders for your brain health. In fact, if you spend enough time getting sweaty in a sauna, you may be able to slash your dementia risk by more than half.

Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland studied the health records of over 2,000 middle-aged men, and they found that sauna visits and dementia risk were closely intertwined. More specifically, the more frequently these men sweated it out in a sauna, the less likely they were to develop dementia later on.

Men who visited a sauna four to seven times per week, for example, had a 66 percent lower risk of developing dementia and a 65 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men who went to the sauna one time per week.

That’s a big payoff for such a pleasurable activity. So why do saunas have such a substantial impact on your cognitive health?

The surprising benefits of saunas

A sauna’s cognitive health benefits most likely come from its ability to help you sweat out toxins, along with its ability to make you feel calm and relaxed. And these two abilities will help your health in countless other ways too.

Besides reducing your dementia risk, saunas have also been shown to:

• Relieve pain
• Ease insomnia
• Increase circulation
• Promote a healthy immune response

And another recent study from the University of Eastern Finland even found that men who frequented the sauna had a lower risk of sudden cardiac death and death from any cause.

Now, when most people think of saunas, they think ‘steamy heat.’ And steamy heat is great for sweating out toxins. But not all saunas are the same.

Take the infrared sauna. This type of sauna uses infrared light to create heat. This light passes through your skin to deeper tissues, raising core body temperature by 2-3 degrees. According to Dr. Michael Cutler, this causes a much more effective removal of fat-soluble toxins, heavy metals, sulfuric acids, ammonia, sodium, and uric acid than only heating ambient air around you.

So when it comes to dementia (and a lot of other health problems), it seems like a little detoxing and R&R in the sauna is just what the doctor ordered… so check out a local spa or maybe even the YMCA or YWCA in your town.

But if you’re going to start frequenting the sauna a few times per week, there are a few precautions you should follow. Saunas raise your body temperature significantly, so you need to be careful not to get overzealous and overdo your sauna time.

For a safe and healthy sauna session you should:

• Avoid alcohol before heading to the sauna.
• Check to make sure none of your medications impair your body’s ability to sweat.
• Avoid the sauna if you’re feeling under the weather.
• Limit your sauna time to 15 to 20 minutes.
• Get out of the sauna if you begin to feel dizzy, faint or sick.
• Give yourself a few minutes to cool down afterward.
• Drink at least two to four glasses of water after you get out.

Editor’s note: Losing your mental faculties is not something you should just accept as part of aging. Learn more about strengthening your brain in An Active Healthy Mind At Any Age — on sale today!

Sources:

1. “Frequent sauna bathing protects men against dementia.” MedicalXpress. http://medicalxpress.com. Retrieved December 16, 2016.

2. “Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged Finnish men.” Age and Ageing, 2016; 0: 1-5.

3. “Why saunas are good for you.” Australian Natural Health Magazine. http://www.naturalhealthmag.com.au. Retrieved December 16, 2016.

4. “Sauna Health Benefits: Are saunas healthy or harmful?” Harvard Health Publications. http://www.health.harvard.edu. Retrieved December 16, 2016.

http://easyhealthoptions.com/relax-slash-dementia-risk-by-half/

The Incredible Healing Power of Infrared Saunas

When it comes to revitalizing your health, reversing illness, and just making you feel great, few things compare to an infrared sauna.

Infrared saunas are clinically shown to help fight cancer, reduce blood pressure, relieve pain, reverse heart disease ...

4 October 2016

by email

Special Issue Lee Euler, Editor

When it comes to revitalizing your health, reversing illness, and just making you feel great, few things compare to an infrared sauna.

Infrared saunas are clinically shown to help fight cancer, reduce blood pressure, relieve pain, reverse heart disease, promote weight loss, and give you a host of other health benefits.

The deep healing power of infrared energy

Ever get in a car on a sunny day in winter? Wonder how it feels so warm inside when the air outside is freezing? That's the infrared light from the sun.

In this same way, infrared saunas penetrate up to 1-1/2 inches below your skin to detoxify and revitalize your cells. This produces a deep, detoxifying sweat that eliminates toxins at the cellular level. Infrared energy is powerful, yet it's so safe it's used in hospitals to warm newborn infants.

Using infrared saunas to fight cancer

Over 2,000 years ago, the famous Greek physician Parmenides said, "Give me the power to create fever, and I will cure any disease." Cancer clinics in Germany and Mexico are putting this principle to use. They routinely treat patients with hyperthermia, where the body is exposed to high temperatures. High temperatures can kill cancer cells, usually without damage to normal tissues.¹

Most of the German cancer clinics that I've visited use both infrared hyperthermia and infrared saunas for their patients, and so do many of the Mexican clinics. Infrared saunas provide a form of whole-body hyperthermia that boosts your health in many ways. You can even enjoy infrared sauna at home, as I’ll explain in a moment.

According to Dr. Charles Majors, author of The Cancer Killers, The Cause Is The Cure, infrared heat can eliminate cancer, viruses, parasites, increase immunity and help speed up detoxification. "Infrared sauna therapy is a much deeper tissue penetration of heat, creating all of its benefits versus a traditional sauna."

Dr. Majors notes that infrared sauna therapy for cancer offers a combination of healing mechanisms including:

1. Hyperthermia - Heat kills abnormal cells. Cancer cells cannot tolerate heat, so they become weaker and much easier to kill. Raising body temperature can cause their death.

2. Increases Sweating- The sweating process gently and safely helps eliminate all heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Medical studies demonstrate that most toxins can be eliminated through the skin, relieving some burden on the kidneys and liver.

3. Increase Immunity- Infrared Saunas enhance white blood cell function, thereby increasing immunity and helping kill Cancer, infections, viruses, etc.

4. Help detox heavy metals- Using an infrared sauna increases detoxification of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, nickel and many others. These metals accumulate in our bodies causing many health issues, symptoms and disease, including cancer.

5. Raises your body temperature- helps the body kill bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. Many people have a low body temperature and, for this reason, cannot get rid of chronic infections.²

Infrared treatment shrinks
tumor volumes 86% in 30 days

In a clinical study published in the Journal of Cancer Science and
Therapy, scientists studied far infrared's effects on human cancer cells in vitro and on cancer cells in mice. Far infrared therapy reduced tumor volumes 86% in 30 days. The tumor-suppressing effects were even seen without high temperatures, even as low as 77 degrees Fahrenheit.³

In another study, researchers in Japan discovered that whole-body hyperthermia with far infrared strongly inhibited the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice without deleterious side effects. Researchers believe this therapy is promising for long-term studies of a noninvasive treatment of breast cancer.⁴

The healing power of 'cellular cleansing'

Most of us don't sweat enough regularly. We live in air conditioned homes, cars, and offices. We use antiperspirants and most of us don't exercise enough. But your body was designed to sweat. And sweat is a key way to cleanse your body.

The infrared sauna is a powerful means of cellular cleansing. It increases your metabolism and boosts blood circulation. It also relaxes your muscles, soothes your spirit and rejuvenates your entire body.

The deep penetration of infrared heat releases toxins from the fat layers just beneath the skin. It also helps your body eliminate toxins from your internal organs. These toxins pass from the organs to the fat tissue under the skin. Then they are eliminated in perspiration.

To see how this works, researchers analyzed the sweat from both traditional and infrared saunas. Sweat from traditional saunas was about 97% water and 3% toxins. Infrared saunas produced a sweat that was only 80 — 85% water. The remaining 15-20% was made up of heavy metals, sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia, uric acid and fat-soluble toxins.⁵

The secret to effortless detox

If you're a regular reader of this newsletter, you're well aware of the toxins we're all exposed to in modern life. You also know well that many of these toxins in our food, water and air are believed to be a major cause of increased cancer rates. If you want to prevent or reverse cancer, you not only need to reduce your intake of toxins, you also need a regular program to get these poisons out of your body.

Infrared heat is incredibly powerful because it helps you cleanse at the cellular level and release toxins stored in your fat cells. Infrared saunas are also powerful because they're such a simple, easy way to detox compared to fasting, exercise, colon cleansing, and other detox therapies.

Natural weight loss

It is no secret that maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall quality of life. In fact, a 10-year study published by The New England Journal of Medicine found that waist circumference by itself is a critical factor in assessing the risk of premature death. In other words, if you can maintain a healthy weight, you increase your likelihood of a longer, healthier life.

Did you know that you now have basically the same number of fat cells as you did when you were born? Fat cells develop during the third trimester of pregnancy and you keep the same number your whole life. So how do you gain weight? Your fat cells store fat like a sponge that soaks up water. Infrared saunas help release fat (and the toxins stored in the fat) like squeezing water out of a sponge.

Infrared saunas have been clinically shown to dramatically aid in weight loss. A 2009 study showed that infrared saunas provide significant results in lowering weight and waist circumference in just 3 months. And for those who are sedentary due to medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular or respiratory problems, results were even more profound.⁶

Burn up to 600 calories while sitting still!

According to information published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, infrared sauna sessions were shown to burn upwards of 600 calories. During a sauna weight loss session, your core temperature increases and the body works hard to cool itself. While using an infrared sauna, there is a substantial increase in blood flow, heart rate, cardiac output, and metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories.⁷

Regular use of an infrared sauna may be an effective means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, akin to regular exercise. Using an infrared sauna is like giving yourself a passive cardio workout — whenever you need it!

As someone who always means to exercise and seldom gets around to it, I appreciate an easy way to get some of the benefits.

Drug-free pain relief

Infrared rays also help you naturally reduce pain and inflammation. Infrared sauna heat works by penetrating joints, muscles and tissues. It increases circulation, and boosts oxygen flow to the tissues. By reducing soreness on nerve endings, infrared heat reduces muscle spasms and helps the body heal itself naturally.

Infrared saunas are proven relief for sports injuries, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, joint pain/stiffness and other chronic pain conditions.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Spencer, a sports medicine expert from the University of Southern California and consultant to Lance Armstrong, "infrared wavelengths penetrate the body to create heat, which creates profound therapeutic benefits. They increase blood flow to the muscles, delivering more concentrated oxygen, which creates more energy to heal."

• Significant Reduction in Chronic Pain: A study reported in Clinical Rheumatology showed that infrared saunas gave significant relief for patients with chronic pain (such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis). Four weeks of 30-minute, twice-weekly sessions in an infrared sauna resulted in a 40 percent improvement in pain and stiffness (for rheumatoid arthritis) and 60 percent (for ankylosing spondylitis).⁸
• 70% Less Pain AFTER JUST ONE SESSION! A recent study published in Internal Medicine, showed that patients with chronic pain saw their pain levels drop by nearly 70% after their first session of infrared sauna therapy. Pain scores remained low throughout the observation period.⁹
• Increase Flexibility Up to 300% A study conducted at the Auburn University at Montgomery compared stretching in a full spectrum infrared sauna compared to a typical training room environment. Participants completed a series of hamstring stretches in random order with 48 hours separating the sessions. Results showed that acute flexibility increased up to 3x in the sauna than without! Benefits to the increased range of motion include joint mobility, less friction in the joints, enabling of joint function to diminish stiffness and joint relaxation. View study.

Reduce blood pressure WITHOUT drugs

Infrared saunas have been clinically shown to provide one of the best, natural ways to lower blood pressure. In a 2005 clinical study by the University of Missouri Kansas City, infrared saunas were shown to lower blood pressure through a program of 30-minute infrared sauna sessions just three times per week.

The study concluded that infrared sauna therapy dilated blood vessels and reduced the thickness of their inner lining. This increased circulation and promoted healthy blood pressure.¹⁰

What's more, a Japanese study published in the October 2008 issue ofThe Journal of Cardiology examined the clinical effectiveness and safety of infrared blood pressure therapy, as compared to standard therapies for patients with chronic heart failure. The report concluded that far-infrared sauna therapy is both safe and effective at improving clinical symptoms and cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. Repeated infrared sauna treatments improved impaired blood vessel functions in patients with high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. This suggests a preventive role for infrared sauna use for arteriosclerosis.¹¹

Reverse heart disease

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that infrared saunas help improve the function of impaired vascular endothelial cells in patients who are at risk for coronary artery disease. The infrared heat of the sauna opens capillaries to improve blood flow. 15 minutes in an infrared sauna each day for 14 days improved the function of the endothelial cells lining the arteries by 40%.¹²

Research also shows that infrared saunas help:

• Relieve arrhythmias: A clinical study explored the therapeutic use of infrared saunas for patients in the end-stage of congestive heart failure. It showed that saunas helped relieve arrhythmias (an irregularity in the force or rhythm of the heartbeat).¹³
• Improve congestive heart failure: In the Journal of Cardiac Failure, researchers reported statistical improvements in blood pressure, strength of heart (ejection fraction on echocardiogram), and exercise tolerance in patients treated with saunas. Saunas also helped reduce the number of hospital admissions for this condition.¹⁴

Other important health benefits

It's hard to think of an aspect of health and wellness that infrared saunas don't benefit. But other clinical studies show that infrared saunas can help you:

• Relieve Depression: A study published in Psychosomatic Medicine looked at a group of 28 mildly depressed patients. Half of the patients utilized an infrared sauna once a day for 4 weeks and the other half had just bed rest for 4 weeks. The sauna group showed a significant improvement compared to the control group.¹⁵
• Boost Your Immunity: Infrared saunas are clinically shown to help patients with weak immune systems, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. MRSA is a potentially deadly bacterial infection that is resistant to most antibiotics. Infrared therapy knocked out the MRSA pathogens without causing increased inflammation.¹⁶ Another study from NASA showed that near infrared therapy, delivered by LEDs deep into body tissue, can quadruple cell health and tissue growth.
• Give You Healthier, Younger-Looking Skin: A study published in The Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapyshowed significant improvements in skin appearance after just 12 weeks of sauna skin therapy using near-infrared technology. Participants saw a reduction in wrinkles and crow's feet, as well as improved overall skin tone, including softness, smoothness, elasticity, clarity and firmness.¹⁷

The health-boosting power of light

Most infrared saunas on the market produce only far infrared. However, a new development in the field is full-spectrum infrared. These are saunas that provide all of the benefits associated with far-, mid- and near-infrared rays. For instance, near-infrared energy stimulates the body's natural healing powers. Scientists call this photobiomodulation. In cancer patients, near-infrared is used for healing chemotherapy-induced ulcers and wound healing.¹⁸

Boost your cellular energy
for supercharged healing

Near-infrared energy boosts your cells' ability to create energy. This can help stimulate your immune system and your overall healing. It helps your liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, skin, and other detox organs to neutralize toxins and work at peak efficiency. To create energy, the mitochondria (the power-generating centers inside every cell) depend on an enzyme called Cytochrome c oxidase.

Studies show that infrared therapy recharges mitochondria. It boosts their levels of oxygen and cytochrome c oxidase. This can help you maintain a cellular energy level that's usually only seen in young people.

How to use infrared saunas

If you're already in good health, a 30-40 minute sauna session three or more times a week will do. Or if you're trying to heal a specific health condition, some doctors prescribe daily or even multiple sessions each day.²¹

You can try an infrared sauna at a local health club, spa, or massage therapist. A typical fee is $30-$45 per 30-minute session. I also recommend purchasing one yourself. An excellent, cutting-edge manufacturer is Sunlighten, offering clinically backed 3-in-1 infrared saunas with a simple plug-and-heat design for easy home installation. Visit their website or call 1-877-292-0020. Another reputable (albeit more expensive) brand is TheraSauna. Infrared saunas, with their myriad health benefits, are definitely an at-home therapy option worth checking out.

If you decide to contact these companies you should mention that you read about infrared saunas in Cancer Defeated. But please be aware that these companies can’t give you advice about treatment for cancer or any other disease. It’s against the law for them to do that. You’d be wasting your time and theirs to ask what saunas can do for cancer and probably for most other health conditions. That’s why you need to read Cancer Defeated (and other sources of health information.) We have the first amendment right to tell you what supplement marketers and other vendors aren’t allowed to.

http://www.cancerdefeated.com/news-archive/

Toxic Cookware Chemicals Have Polluted Drinking Water for Millions

According to a recent Harvard study, 16.5 million Americans have detectable levels of at least one kind of polyfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkyl chemical (PFASs) in their drinking water.

August 24, 2016 

Story at-a-glance

• PFASs — used to create non-stick, stain-resistant and water-repellant surfaces — are toxic and highly persistent, both in your body and in the environment and likely affecting your health
• 16.5 million Americans have detectable levels of at least one kind of polyfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkyl chemical (PFASs) in their drinking water
• PFOA was an essential ingredient in DuPont’s Teflon cookware for decades. It’s also used in hundreds of other non-stick and stain-resistant products

By Dr. Mercola

According to a recent Harvard study, 16.5 million Americans have detectable levels of at least one kind of polyfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkyl chemical (PFASs) in their drinking water. About 6 million Americans are drinking water that contains PFAS at or above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety level.1,2,3,4

These industrial chemicals have been linked to a number of health problems, from obesity and hormonal problems to impaired immune function5 and cancer, and the study's authors warn that PFASs may contribute to illness even below the EPA's safety level. Co-author Dr. Philippe Grandjean told the Charleston Gazette-Mail:6

"The EPA advisory limit ... is much too high to protect us against toxic effects on the immune system. And the available water data only reveals the tip of the iceberg of contaminated drinking water."

Recent research even suggests PFAS exposure may reduce effectiveness of vaccines in children by interfering with their immune function.7

PFASs Have Become Ubiquitous in the Environment

PFASs are used in many industrial applications calling for non-stick or slick surfaces, such as food packaging, stain- and water-resistant fabrics, non-stick cookware and firefighting foam. As reported by CNN:8

"As a result of their ubiquity, the chemicals migrate into air, household dust, food, soil and ground and surface water, and they eventually make their way into drinking water.

The problem with PFASs is that they remain in your body for a long time. Though other chemicals can be excreted within hours, it takes about 3.5 years for your body to get rid of just half of whatever amount you ingest …"

Do You Have Unsafe PFAS Levels in Your Drinking Water?

While toxic water supplies were found in 33 states, 75 percent of the samples with elevated PFAS came from 13 states: California, New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Arizona, Massachusetts and Illinois.

Not surprisingly, the highest concentration levels of PFAS were found in watersheds near industrial sites, military fire training areas and wastewater treatment plants. Private wells were also found to be contaminated. According to the authors:

"Among samples with detectable PFAS levels, each additional military site within a watershed's eight-digit hydrologic unit is associated with a 20 [percent] increase in PFHxS, a 10 [percent] increase in both PFHpA and PFOA, and a 35 [percent] increase in PFOS.

The number of civilian airports with personnel trained in the use of aqueous film-forming foams is significantly associated with the detection of PFASs above the minimal reporting level."

Many Americans Face Health Risks From Water Contaminants

As reported by CNN,9 more than 18 million Americans also receive drinking water from water treatment facilities that have violated federal drinking water rules for lead. And, in 9 out of 10 cases, the EPA has taken no enforcement action against the violators.

Disturbingly, many water treatment facilities are actually using incorrect testing methods to avoid detecting high levels of lead, which means the number of Americans drinking lead-contaminated water is likely even higher than that.

An estimated 16 million also have perchlorate — a chemical used in explosives and rocket fuel — in their drinking water.10

Just how severe water contamination may be remains an open question, as the Safe Drinking Water Act only regulates 91 contaminants. Meanwhile, more than 80,000 chemicals are used in the U.S.11 There's really no telling how many of these chemicals, and in what amounts, end up in our drinking water.

Teflon Chemical Is Harmful at Minute Doses

One PFASs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, also known as C8), has been revealed to be far more dangerous than previously thought. For 50 years, DuPont used PFOA to make Teflon. Throughout that time, the company defended the safety of PFOA.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of harm, DuPont still to this day resists accountability for health problems resulting from PFOA exposure. However, the truth has finally become too obvious to ignore.

Last year, The Intercept blew the case open when it published a three-part exposé12titled "The Teflon Toxin: DuPont and the Chemistry of Deception," detailing DuPont's history of covering up the facts.

Earlier this year, The New York Times also published an in-depth exposé13 on the legal battle fought against DuPont for the past 15 years over PFOA contamination and its toxic effects.

According to a 2015 report14 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the EPA's "safe" level of PFOA in drinking water is likely hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of times too high for safety:

"[T]wo leading environmental health scientists have published research with alarming implications … Their research finds that even very tiny concentrations of PFOA — below the reporting limit required by EPA's tests of public water supplies — are harmful …

Since 2013, an EPA testing program has found PFOA in 94 public water systems in 27 states. These systems provide drinking water to more than 6.5 million people.

... [A]mong the samples with PFOA, statewide average levels ranged between five times and 175 times the level described by the new research as safe."

Safety Level for PFAS Lowered, but May Still Not Be Low Enough

As a sign of progress, the EPA lowered the safety level for PFOA and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) from 0.4 parts per billion (ppb) to .07 ppb in May, 201615 (including a maximum combined level of .07 ppb if both chemicals are present).

The new standard takes into account lifetime exposure that would occur from drinking contaminated water.

Unfortunately, EPA data shows that water systems in 18 states are contaminated with PFOA and/or PFOS above the new federal threshold. Besides, even the new threshold may not be low enough to protect public health. According to the EWG, the safety level really should be 0.0003 ppb.

DuPont Faces Increasingly Serious Fallout From Its Teflon Products

PFOA is now the subject of about 3,500 personal injury claims against DuPont, four of which have already gone to court. One woman who developed kidney cancer after drinking PFOA-contaminated water was awarded $1.6 million in damages.16,17

These legal processes have uncovered internal documents showing DuPont was fully aware of the chemical's danger to the public and employees, yet continued using it while hiding contamination problems.

In 2002, the EPA announced PFOA may pose a health risk to the general public both via contaminated water and Teflon cookware. DuPont's own research shows that when its non-stick cookware is heated it breaks down to 15 toxic gases and particles, mostly fluorine-based.18,19

Three years later, in 2005, the EPA fined DuPont $16.5 million for violating the Toxic Substances Control Act by withholding decades' worth of information about health hazards associated with PFOA.

That same year, a panel of scientists was convened to determine PFOA's effect on human health. After seven years of research, the results of which are detailed in more than three dozen peer-reviewed papers, the C8 Science Panel linked PFOA to:20

• Ulcerative colitis
• High cholesterol
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension
• Thyroid disease
• Testicular and kidney cancer

Its health effects were deemed to be widespread and occurred even at very low exposure levels. Now, residents of Hoosick Falls, New York — where a string of rare cancer deaths, thyroid disease and other health problems have occurred — are suing PFOA manufacturers for contaminating their local water supply.21

Hundreds of Scientists Issue Warning Over PFASs

It's quite clear that the chemical industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself, and DuPont stands as a shining example of this. It can take decades before a dangerous chemical is recognized as such, and then the company can simply switch over to another untested, unregulated chemical, and the whack-a-mole game continues — all because chemicals do not have to be proven safe BEFORE they're used.

In May 2015, more than 200 scientists from 40 countries signed the so-called Madrid Statement,22,23 which warns about the harms of all PFAS chemicals, both old and new. Documented health effects associated with the older, long-chain PFASs, including the following:24

Liver toxicity	Disruption of lipid metabolism, and the immune and endocrine systems
Adverse neurobehavioral effects	Neonatal toxicity and death
Tumors in multiple organ systems	Testicular and kidney cancers
Liver malfunction	Hypothyroidism
High cholesterol	Ulcerative colitis
Reduced birth weight and size	Obesity
Decreased immune response to vaccines	Reduced hormone levels and delayed puberty

The Statement also points out the problem with replacing PFASs known to be harmful with other similar, but less scientifically evaluated, compounds, saying:

• "Although some of the long-chain PFASs are being regulated or phased out, the most common replacements are short-chain PFASs with similar structures, or compounds with fluorinated segments joined by ether linkages.

• While some shorter-chain fluorinated alternatives seem to be less bioaccumulative, they are still as environmentally persistent as long-chain substances or have persistent degradation products. Thus, a switch to short-chain and other fluorinated alternatives may not reduce the amounts of PFASs in the environment. In addition, because some of the shorter-chain PFASs are less effective, larger quantities may be needed to provide the same performance."

How to Avoid PFASs

According to the 1976 Toxic Sub­stances Control Act, the EPA can only test chemicals AFTER it has obtained evidence of harm. This arrangement is a prescription for disaster because it basically allows chemical companies to regulate themselves, and this is largely the reason why the EPA has restricted only five chemicals in the last four decades.

The Madrid Statement recommends avoiding any and all products containing, or manufactured using, PFASs, noting they include products that are stain-resistant, waterproof or non-stick. More helpful tips can be found in the EWG's "Guide to Avoiding PFCS."25Other suggestions that will help you avoid these dangerous chemicals include avoiding:

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

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

Items treated with flame retardant chemicals,26 which includes a wide variety of baby items, padded furniture, mattresses and pillows. Instead, opt for naturally less flammable materials such as leather, wool and cotton

Fast food and carry out foods, as the wrappers are typically treated with PFCs

Microwave popcorn. PFOA may not only present in the inner coating of the bag, it also may migrate to the oil from the packaging during heating. Instead, use "old-fashioned" stovetop popcorn

Non-stick cookware and other treated kitchen utensils. Healthier options include ceramic and enameled cast iron cookware, both of which are durable, easy to clean and completely inert, which means they won't release any harmful chemicals into your home. A newer type of non-stick cookware called Duralon uses a nonfluoridated nylon polymer for its non-stick coating. While this appears to be safe, your safest bet is still ceramic and enameled cast iron. While some recommend using aluminum, stainless steel and copper cookware, I don't for the following reasons: aluminum is a strongly suspected causal factor in Alzheimer's disease, and stainless steel has alloys containing nickel, chromium, molybdenum and carbon. For those with nickel allergies, this may be a particularly important consideration. Copper cookware is also not recommended because most copper pans come lined with other metals, creating the same concerns noted above. (Copper cookware must be lined due to the possibility of copper poisoning.)

Oral-B Glide floss and any other personal care products containing PTFE or "fluoro" or "perfluoro" ingredients. The EWG has an excellent database called Skin Deep27 you can peruse to find healthier options

At-Home Water Filtration Is a Must for Clean Pure Water

Unfortunately, your choices are limited when it comes to avoiding PFASs in drinking water. Either you must filter your water or obtain water from a clean source. Both solutions can be problematic and/or costly.

While many opt for bottled water, it's important to realize that PFASs are not regulated in bottled water, so there's absolutely no guarantee that it'll be free of these or other chemicals. Bottled water also increases your risk of exposure to hazardous plastic chemicals such as bisphenol-A (BPA), which has its own set of health risks.

Most common water filters available in supermarkets will not remove PFASs. You really need a high-quality carbon filtration system. To be certain you're getting the purest water you can, filter the water both at the point of entry and at the point of use. This means filtering all the water that comes into the house, and then filtering again at the kitchen sink and shower.

The New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute recommends using granulated activated carbon "or an equally efficient technology" to remove PFC chemicals such as PFOA and PFOS from your drinking water.28 Activated carbon has been shown to remove up to 90 percent of these chemicals.

One of the best filtration systems I've found so far is the Pure & Clear Whole House Water Filtration System, which uses a three-stage filtration process — a micron sediment pre-filter, a KDF water filter, and a high-grade carbon water filter.29

If you have been regularly exposed to PFASs by drinking municipal water, it would be wise to not only implement the above filtering recommendations to limit future toxic exposures but also consider a detox program. The likely most effective form would be to use infrared sauna with niacin as discussed in my interview with Dr. George Yu.

I personally do a version of this program three times a week in one of our infrared saunas — not only for PFASs but for all the other, nearly unavoidable exposures from living in contemporary society.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/08/24/drinking-water-pfas-level.aspx