How Posture Affects the Circulatory System

We have all been corrected at one point or another in our lives about our slouching.  Most often, we do not even realize that we are doing it.  For several reasons, it is important to be conscious of the way we are sitting and do so in a manner that both allows, and ideally even assists us in keeping a good posture.  The science of ergonomics is rampant in the chair industry in getting those dual attributes of comfort and health.

Most people are probably aware that long-term bad posture is “bad for you.”  However, many may not know the specific consequences of it besides perhaps developing a hunched spine as we age.  But the effects go way beyond that.  They in fact extend to the circulatory system.

Improper posture has far more effects than just being bad for the spine.  It can actually hamper your blood flow.

Author: User:Sansculotte, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

When we sit in the correct posture, we are maintaining the natural curve of the spine, and our torso at its intended angle.  This puts the spinal erectors and other supporting muscles of the upper body in their neutral position.  In slouching, large muscle groups such as the latissimus dorsi, along with the spinal erectors and rhomboids are put in a constant state of stretch.  If the head is also pointed forward, then it will also hold true for the neck muscles.  While proper, temporary stretching of muscle groups is highly beneficial to the body, the state of constant drooping is improper, and is not optimal for blood flow to each of these groups.  Years of lack of adequate blood flow can cause these muscles to become permanently damaged taking into account current medical technology.

In the front of the body, because the slouch position is a forward curvature, the abdominal muscles will become compressed.  Though compression is the opposite state of stretching, the same thing will hold true where suboptimal blood flow is concerned.  It will have the added effect of partial atrophy to this vital muscle group.

The effects of compression in the abdomen are not limited to the muscles.  It affects the entire abdominal cavity, which houses the majority of your vital organs.  Hampering blood flow to the heart, liver, and other digestive and respiratory organs puts them under constant stress when you are sitting down.  If you have a desk job where you are sitting for long periods of time, this can heighten the risk for many diseases, due to silent organ inhibition and damage.

The abdominal muscles are the prime movers in respiration.  Therefore, their inhibition will also affect the lungs, which work in unison with the heart to carry blood to every part of the body – the limbs, tissues, skin, abdominal organs, and brain.  The body naturally strives to maintain adequate blood flow to every one of its sectors.  If your posture is working against your body, that will in turn require your heart to labor more whenever you are sitting down.

If you have any other preexisting circulatory problems, it becomes even more critical to maintain a good posture.  If you sit at a computer for long periods of time, a post-it note beside your keyboard or somewhere that it is in your plain sight can be very helpful to check yourself, if you are one that has problems with sitting incorrectly.  Poor posture is often not from conscious laziness, but an unconscious lax in form over a period of time.  Should you have a back injury, or have begun to suffer the effects of a bad posture, you may also benefit from correction devices.  Ideally, those should be used on a temporary basis, as it is most desirable to condition the muscles in the back to make it easier to sit up straight.  Also, do not sit for too long at a time.  Allow yourself to stand up, stretch, and briefly walk around for at least a few minutes every hour.  Remain conscious of what your body is doing.  The human body is not designed to sit for very long periods of time, so the natural tendency is to slouch.  So straighten up, and remain ergonomically sound for the sake of your health.

How Fluoride Damages the Body Systems

When fluoride is ingested and reaches the stomach, it reacts with its hydrochloric acid (HCl).  The fluoride ion will displace the chlorine, due to its strong oxidation power, and form hydrogen fluoride (HF).  After it passes into the intestine and is absorbed, it will pass intact into the blood stream.  Because it is such a strong oxidizer, your liver will not be able to biotransform it into something more benign.  Since blood runs through all tissues, fluoride will invade all systems of the body.

For several valid reasons, countries around the world have discontinued adding fluoride to their water systems.  Despite the insistence of the American Dental Association, providers in the United States should absolutely follow suit.  Whether or not something can be shown to have a benefit when applied topically does not mean it is not harmful if it is ingested.

A system of reverse osmosis.  Water purifiers that have this system are extremely effective at ridding your tap water of fluoride.

Author: Johnlessdominic

Teeth

Children are the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of ingested fluoride in teeth.  Dental fluorosis is a condition where the teeth become hypomineralized.  In other words, they have less minerals, namely calcium, in their enamel than what is normal.  This results in softer enamel, which is more likely to fracture if something hard is bitten, as well as being more vulnerable to decay if the fluorosis is serious enough.  Nearly 40% of children in the United States have at least a small degree of dental fluorosis.

Skeletal System

When hydrofluoric acid reaches the bones, they react with the positively charged calcium ions in the various compounds that make up bone tissue, and form calcium fluoride.  The body then seeks to excrete this product.  A continuous process of this over many years results in decreased bone density, due to the subtraction of calcium.  As you age, bone tissue regenerates more slowly.  Continued subtraction of calcium puts you at much higher risk of osteoporosis.  Even when you are younger, it renders you more susceptible to bone fracture than you would be otherwise, as the reduced calcium takes away both strength and flexibility.

Bones are not the only target of fluoride in the skeletal system.  Hydrofluoric acid also can cause calcification of your cartilage.  This will have the effect of increasing your chances of developing arthritis, and also exacerbating the problem for those who already have the condition.

Digestive System

Your thyroid is a multi-functioning organ.  It helps regulate the synthesis of proteins, helps control your body's metabolism, and produces hormones that regulate how many of your other body systems will function.  One of the healthiest and most essential trace elements for optimal thyroid function is iodine.  Iodine is an non-metal element in the halogen group.  The danger to the thyroid is that because it is very receptive to halogens, that means it is also receptive to fluoride.  While iodine is beneficial, fluorine is harmful to your thyroid.  Your hormone output and regulation can be partially disrupted from taking in fluorine.  It is especially important for those who have been exposed to fluorine to take in enough iodine to help counteract the effect.

The toxicity of fluoride to the kidneys has also been long known.  Children's kidneys are even more sensitive than those of adults.  Since small children sometimes swallow the lather of their toothpaste, it is wise to have them use non-fluoride brands.

Brain and Nervous System

Despite previous thoughts to the contrary, fluoride has been shown to be capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier.  There have been over forty studies similar to this that have concluded that fluoride both impedes neural development, and contributes to the development of low IQ in children.  More so than adults, children are also susceptible to having their motor skills impeded during the development process.

Reproductive System and Fertility

Sperm chemotaxis is the process that causes a sperm cell to be attracted to a female ova.  The journal Archives of Toxicology reported that fluoride can disrupt or inhibit this process, which results in egg fertilization becoming drastically more difficult.

Because fluoride can also cause calcification in the pineal gland, it can also affect the onset of female puberty.  It is highly probable that the observation of girls reaching puberty at an earlier age in recent decades has fluoride as at least one of its culprits.  Higher obesity rates among juveniles is also a factor.

If you do not already have one in your possession, it is wise to reduce your exposure to fluorine by obtaining an adequate anti-fluoride water filter.

Fluoride: The Legal, Government Induced Toxin in the Water Supply

In the continuing midst of the scandal concerning the Flint water supply, a failure of all government levels has been revealed.  The public, especially the residents of Flint and in Michigan, are rightfully outraged at this complete lack of regard for human health and safety.  Lead is a heavy metal that is most often actively sought out to be purged during the processing.  The reasons for this are discussed here.  However, while the lead crisis largely originated due to sloth, there is another toxin that also exists in our drinking water.  This is not only present in the Flint water supply, but all across the United States.  This action is in some aspects even worse; it is purposely placed in the water by the governments.  This element is also found in your toothpaste.  We are speaking of none other than fluoride.

What is the Difference Between Fluoride in Toothpaste and Fluoride in Water?

A good question indeed.  If fluoride indeed helps strengthen and protect the enamel of your teeth, then why is it such an atrocity that it is in our water?  This, believe it or not, can be answered very simply.  Just because a substance MAY be beneficial when applied topically, does not mean that it is beneficial to ingest.  Anti-fungal sprays are effective at getting rid of Athlete's Foot, however, swallowing them would not be recommended.  Same with skin cream.  Whether fluoride is even a benefit topically is also a matter of debate.  However, the evidence for detrimental health effects that come from ingesting it are overwhelming.

Dental fluorosis is a condition that is developed in children who consume too much fluoride.  The single biggest factor is the swallowing of toothpaste, either the direct gel, or the lather.  However, the drinking of tap water is also a significant contributing factor, due to the fact that children have a higher retention rate of fluoride than adults.

Most, if not all, fluoride toothpaste has a warning not to swallow the lather.  The effects of swallowing fluoride are cumulative in the body, similar to lead.  Fluoride can be actively detoxed from the body, but it is not automatically flushed out like many other toxins.  It accumulates in the bones, rendering people more prone to diseases such as osteoporosis at an earlier age.  It also raises the risk of cancers.

Most commercially sold toothpaste in the United States contains fluoride.  Children are at special risk of the harmful effects of swallowing toothpaste.

Author Thegreenj, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Many Countries Have Already Removed Fluoride from Drinking Water

The United States is currently one of the very few countries in the world that fluoridates the majority of their drinking water.  It has been taken out of virtually every county in Western Europe.  It has even been eliminated in China, as well as India.  In the early part of last decade, Israel passed a law mandating the use of fluoride, only to be repealed a little over a decade later due to the advocacy of scientists.

Why the Lack of Outrage?

The Sphere of Health plans on expounding on this topic in greater detail in the near future.  The short answer is: the way it has been campaigned in contrast to other elements such as lead.  While lead has been rightfully warned against by scientists and governments, fluoride has received the opposite press, due to it's (supposed) benefit for people's teeth when topically applied.  People tend to trust, often to their detriment, the declarations of official policymakers.

Recently declassified government documents have shown that fluoride played a key role in the development of the atomic bomb.  As it was utilized during the process, much of it was also released into the surrounding environment.  To protect the politically connected companies who manufactured this from extensive class action lawsuits, appointed scientists "found" that fluoride was not harmful.  Fortunately for roughly a third of the U.S. population, many municipalities have not signed on to this scam, and have fortunately rejected the fluoridation process for their water supply.
 
Reducing your Fluoride Intake

As this has not of yet gotten come to the forefront of the minds of people in the United States, the Sphere of Health seeks to raise awareness of the hazards of consistently taking in this chemical.  Until public policy is changed regarding the insertion of this unnecessary and harmful toxin in our water, you should take steps to reduce the amount of fluoride that you ingest.

If you use a fluoride toothpaste, make certain your mouth is thoroughly rinsed out before swallowing any liquid.  Rinse your mouth at least three times with vigorous swishing, along with gargling, to get any lather that may have reached the back of the tongue.  Make sure your children do the same, and keep the toothpaste out of reach of small children, that they may not get to it when they are out of your sight.  Ideally, it is best to look for a non-fluoridated toothpaste for children.

You can also purchase a water filter.  However, not every type of filter will eliminate fluoride.  Reverse osmosis filters, deionizers, and activated alumina filters are most effective.  Additionally, you can also opt to buy spring water specifically for drinking.

While both green and black tea have numerous proven health benefits, they also do contain some natural fluoride.  Because of their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities, they definitely should not be avoided.  However, do not overindulge; drink in moderation.

Cook your food with stainless steel or iron as opposed to teflon coated, non-stick pans.  Teflon is a fluoridated carbon chain with the formula (C2F4)n.  When it is heated, some of it will be released into the food.





 

Lead Poisoning, Flint Water Crisis, and a Solution

The Sphere of Health extends sympathy to the victims of the Flint water crisis. This post is dedicated to them and the hope that this can be prevented in the future.

Lead has the atomic number 82 on the periodic table, with an atomic mass of 207.2 amu. It is one of the five most toxic commonly found heavy metals in the human body, the others being: mercury, cadmium, aluminum, and arsenic.  Lead has a toxicity rating high enough that any physically measurable presence of it in the tissues can result in health complications.

Common Causes of Lead Exposure

There are several ways lead can get into our systems. Some of the more common causes will be listed below, but are not by any means the only pathways.

Even though lead based paint is no longer made in the United States, it still is in our surroundings.  Many old buildings and homes still contain lead paint. When those buildings are destroyed, or the paint is stripped or chips away, it can cause a hazard for those in its proximity.

Occupational exposure is without a doubt the number one cause of lead poisoning as far as adults are concerned. Many skilled trades related to construction, as well as plumbing, ammunition, mining, and others.

In urban areas, especially around industrial sectors that use lead in their products, lead can make its way into the soil.  From there, due to runoff from rainfall, it can end up in the nearby rivers or lakes.  This, in turn, can also result in it turning up in drinking water.  This can also be the case if you have an aging or inadequately constructed piping system.

Lead Ore.  People who have the occupations of mining and smelting can be put at special risk if they are not given the right personal protection equipment, or if the equipment is not functioning optimally.

Why is Lead so Bad for You?



Lead can cause a wide variety of negative health conditions. Central to its ability to do so stems from two main factors. It can mimic the appearance to the body's enzymes of many beneficial metals that are essential to health. The second is a partial consequence of the first - lead has a higher proficiency to binding to these enzymes, which displaces the beneficial metals from binding and interacting.

Several of these beneficial metals are only needed, and bioavailable in small amounts in the diet. Hence, it doesn't take a lot of lead in the body to prevent these interactions and cause significant inhibition to these necessary processes. Therefore, it is considered a highly toxic heavy metal. The limit for lead in the body before it is considered to be at risk is only 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood, and 5 micrograms per deciliter for children.

What Health Problems Can Occur as a Result of Lead?


Because trace elements are needed for optimal function of virtually every system in the body, the complications of lead can also cause a wide array of health problems. One of the most notable is the inhibition of brain development in children. Lead is capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier, and can affect several facets of cognition. Everything from learning disorders and memory loss to behavioral issues have been associated with elevated levels of lead in young children. These particular effects are not reversible with current medical technology.

Lead is known to affect at least three other body systems as well - cardiovascular, nervous, and reproductive. High elevation of lead has been proven to reduce sperm count. Correspondingly in females, excessive lead is linked to low birth weight and a higher likelihood of miscarriage.

High blood pressure and thus a greater risk of heart disease has also been linked to lead poisoning. This is of special concern to people who have other risk factors such as excess weight, or who have smoked in the past or present. Long term exposure also taxes the kidneys, and also leaves the afflicted vulnerable to diabetes.

A Brief Overview of the Flint Water Crisis

Before 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan purchased their water from Detroit, which was taken from Lake Huron and treated. Starting in 2010, Genesee County had pushed to establish the Karegondi Water Authority and cease to buy water from Detroit. The KWA project was expected to be finished by 2016. The stated intention was cost reduction. In 2013, the Flint City Council voted to approve that measure. This led to calls from Detroit for the state of Michigan to block the switch, stating that it would cause a price war. Then in April, 2014, in another effort to save $5 million per year, the city of Flint stopped purchasing water from Detroit two years before the KWA would be finished, and resort to obtaining water from the Flint River.

Immediately after the switch, the quality of the water became apparent to the residents. It had an unusual scent and taste. The clamor among the residents resulted in vigorous testing, revealing bacteria and leading to boil alerts.

Months later, further testing revealed not only high lead counts, but also carcinogenic chlorine compounds, which stemmed from the introduction of chlorine to kill the bacteria that had been found earlier. In early 2015, after much outrage and petitions, the city council voted to resume purchasing water from Detroit. This was blocked by the emergency manager Jerry Ambrose, appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. Ambrose cited the EPA and the environmental department of the state in his claim that Flint water was safe. In late 2015, it was found that the elevated lead levels were due to an essential chemical being left out of the standard treating process. It was also later revealed that state employees in the Flint area were given filters over a year before this crisis came to light in national news in early 2016, while public denials of the danger of the water were being spoken.

The Sphere of Health Advocates for Water Privatization

In the midst of this horrible crisis that is threatening the health, and the lives of the residents involved, both adult and child alike, there is plenty of blame being tossed around. Most notably towards Governor Rick Snyder and his appointed emergency manager, Jerry Ambrose. Many people are outraged at the state forcibly taking over the water management of a city who was not inclined to yield it away. This viewpoint definitely has merit. This is especially true when its appointees demonstrate no more competence than the city had in managing its own water.

However, as much heat that has been put on Rick Snyder, much of it deserved, this is not only a failure of the state government of Michigan. There was also gross incompetence at the city level, and of the EPA. The city of Flint abandoned its reliable water supply before a suitable alternative was established.

On the fiscal policy end, there are some academic pundits that place the blame on austerity measures. However, the creation of the KWA was in fact a government stimulus project. However, a solution to incompetent governmental policy is not overreaching by another level of government.

The effective solution to this problem to reduce the chance of this happening in the future is to cease governmental control over the water supply. Let us look at the effects of privatization of the water utilities.

There is a far more incentive for competing private services to provide safe, clean drinking water than government controlled institutions. This is true for two main reasons.

There is far more legal accountability among a private provider than there is among the government. If a private provider is found to be negligent, and causes harm to their consumers, they do not have a monopoly over the legal system. They could lose everything they have and be forced out of business, and out of money stemming from class action lawsuits, and other legal sanctions, including possible prison sentences if there is enough willful neglect.

Contrast that with the current crisis in Flint. The unfortunate victims of this negligence and subsequent malicious cover up will not be able to sue the people responsible. This is because the people responsible are the government, who has control over the legal system and takes the position of sovereign immunity. Citizens are disallowed from suing the government from harm stemming from negligence unless the government itself consents to being sued. A private provider has no such luxury.

Market discipline is also one of the most effective deterrents from willful negligence. If a private provider delivers current Flint quality water - even if they managed to escape payment as a result of lawsuits, they would undoubtedly go out of business in favor of competitors who would be willing to be more conscientious. Looking back at the Enron crisis, the market was a much more judicious punisher than the government. It was the market that sunk Enron's stock, pushed it into bankruptcy, and finally into non-existence. Without a forcible monopoly on the water, it is the best providers that will end up safely delivering this most essential product.

It is of particular note that nearly a quarter of the United States population already receives their water from private sourcing. The communities that have done so have been largely very happy with their provider - over 90 percent of them vote to continue with privatization.

For these reasons, supported by the results, the Sphere of Health urges Flint, along with all communities across the United States and the world to push for privatization of the water treatment services.