Environmental Health and Human Health

Written by Tami Best, MS, RDN, IFNCP – Integrative and Functional Dietitian

Everything is Connected

The storms we are facing today are terrifying. The intensity of these storms continues to increase. Simultaneously, humans are struggling to feel well and 60% of Americans are struggling with at least one chronic disease while 42% are struggling with more than one chronic disease.

Most common Concerns

The symptoms my clients come to me with most often include:

• Weight related concerns. 1 in 3 adults in the US are overweight; 2 in 5 adults in the US meet the criteria for obesity and 1 in 11 adults in the US are at the body weight classification for severe obesity.
• Gastrointestinal distress (with or without food sensitives or intolerances) such as gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, irritable bowel syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel disease.
• Metabolic health concerns such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance with pre-diabetes or type2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.
• Energy concerns with frequent instances of brain fog, fatigue and poor ability to complete tasks they once were able to.
• Mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety.

Are you struggling with one or more of these concerns? Please keep reading.

Supply Chain

So what is going on?

The vast majority of Americans struggling with some form of overweight or obesity in addition to one or more of the other health concerns above and this isn’t occurring inside of a bubble.

Let’s explore the concept of supply chain and how environmental exposure plays a role in chronic disease, mental and physical wellbeing. Supply chain is often compared to a river. Upstream we can think of as consisting of farming and farming practices. Moving further along the river we encounter food production and manufacturing. Downstream we have us humans.

Let’s look at a couple examples for context.

toxic chemicals and human health

Much of our food upstream is exposed to chemical pesticides used in commercial farming practices.

These chemicals are used to prevent the spread of noxious weeds and critters which could overtake and damage crops.

The challenge is that not only do these chemicals kill weeds and critters, they also disrupts the microbial balance of the soil and destroy our ecosystem. A study published in Frontiers of Environmental Sciences detail how the chemicals are drastically impacting biodiversity of the organisms to support all life on earth including human life. Current strategies used in commercial farming do not allow enough time for soil to recover and are contributing to climate change.

The chemicals that impact our soils biodiversity are also changing human gut microflora. Residues of these chemicals remain on our food. These chemical residues enter our body via the food we eat, killing healthy organisms in our gut, disrupting hormones and neurotransmitter production. According to the World Health Organization, these chemicals can have both acute and chronic negative impacts on human health.

Moving further downstream – food production and manufacturing

Most of the hundreds upon thousands of boxed and packaged foods in our grocery stores are made from highly processed corn, wheat and soy. Not only do these foods become carriers for farming chemicals that enter our body, but they are also formulated in a way to hijack our hunger and satiety hormones and act on the addictive centers of our brain. They usually are high in sugar, sodium, and/or pro-inflammatory plant fats.

In addition, our food supply is further subjected to known chemical endocrine (or hormone) disruptors. We see these chemical disruptors being used in plastic packaging, water bottles, food storage containers and in the lining of cans used to store shelf-stable foods. Additional chemical disruptors enter our supply chain in the form of artificial colors, sweeters and preservative.

The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences identifies how these endocrine disruptors can play a role in cognitive, immune, metabolic, reproductive, growth and development health.

What can we do?

Take back our own health and the health of our planet.

Focus on your supply chain. Your fork is powerful. Use it to vote for practices that support planet and human health.

1. Start by choosing whole, unprocessed food that preferably does not come in packaging.
2. When able, opt for food that comes from organic, regenerative farms that do not use chemicals that are known to disrupt soils and human health. The Environmental Working Group can be an excellent resource on how to reduce toxic burden.
3. Store foods in glass and stainless-steel containers.
4. Say no to ultra-processed foods.
5. Become familiar with your local farmers farming practice. Support local farmers by purchasing seasonal vegetables from them. Supporting local farmers reduces the energy requirements needed for storage and transportation.
6. Work with a registered dietitian one-on-one and/or sign up for nutrition education classes that teach you how to eat for your own health and the health of the planet.

We at Promise of Vitality are here to support you. Stay tuned for new offerings coming this winter.