What to Avoid to Protect Your Brain

[Guest guest]

What to Avoid to Protect Your Brain

-- by Cate son, BA

Lead is a heavy metal that, 30 years ago, was quite

prevalent in our society. You could suffer from lead

exposure by coming into contact with a number of

substances. Lead exposure is harmful to your body. If lead

accumulates there, medical experts say it can increase

blood pressure, and cause fertility problems, nerve

disorders, muscle and joint pain, and irritability.

A new study has found that exposure to higher levels of

environmental lead earlier in life can take a toll on the

aging brain. Researchers at Harvard analyzed lead levels

and cognitive scores in almost 600 women from the Boston

area. The research team found that women aged 47 to 74

who tested positive for lead in their blood did worse on

cognitive tests than those who showed no signs of lead

exposure. When you have lead in your blood, this indicates

that you have been recently exposed to the metal. When

you have lead in your bones, it means that you have had

multiple exposures to the metal over the course of your life

span.

The researchers noted that regulatory changes phased out

higher lead content in products such as gasoline during the

1980s. This means that anyone born after that time period

should have relatively low lead levels in their body. In the

study, only those women with lead found in their tibia

bone, a result of long-ago exposure, scored poorly on

cognitive tests.

The researchers concluded that the findings of the study are

important because of the long-range impact on health for

the aging population. When your brain is impaired by lead

poisoning, you can increase your risk for suffering from

dementia, physical disability, hospitalization and reduced

quality of life.

It would be wise to be aware of potential sources of lead

exposure. Older house hold paint that can contain lead. Up

until 1978, lead paint was commonly used inside and

outside houses. It has been estimated that there are about 38

million homes in the U.S. that still contain lead paint.

When this paint deteriorates and starts to crumble and

flake, it can get into household dust and become airborne. It

can also contaminate the soil around your home. As many

as 24 million homes in the U.S. may have lead-

contaminated dust being tracked around the house and

floating in the air that is being breathed indoors.

One other common source of lead exposure is soil. The past

use of leaded gasoline has resulted in vehicle emissions that

have settled into soil, especially near busy roads and

highways. If you are planting a backyard vegetable garden,

it might be a good idea to have the soil tested for lead

before you start eating anything you've grown.

Love, Gabby. :0)

http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

 

" I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had

some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport