There are over 95,000 commercial, industrial, and agricultural chemicals currently registered and available for use in the United States, the majority of which have never been tested in humans for safety or toxicity. Only 5 chemicals have been taken off of the U.S. market since 1976, under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). The food industry alone uses over 3,000 different chemicals and billions of pounds annually of chemicals that have been grandfathered in as ‘safe’, under the Generally Regarded as Safe or GRAS regulations. Water regulations, dating back to the 1970’s are still in effect, regulating just 91 chemicals in over 160,000 water treatment plants across the U.S. Home furnishings, air quality, and cellular technology all have a “story” regarding regulation, testing, risk of harm, and safe use and alternatives. Heavy metals, and a variety of chemicals, which disrupt the human endocrine system (EDCs), are now considered a world-wide threat to the environment, wildlife, and human populations. In addition to the harmful chemicals intentionally used in a variety of everyday products and materials, the disposal of millions of tons of harmful chemicals, through water systems and incinerated into toxic air pollution, are now known to both directly and indirectly affect human health.
An abundance of evidence now exists, through the World Health Organization, the Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, that many of these chemicals are harmful to human health, especially fetuses, toddlers and teens, who’s brains and bodies are developing at a rapid rate. Rates of asthma, anxiety and depression, heart disease, autoimmune disease, endocrine disease, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancers have increased world-wide, linked to increased rates of air pollution, poor food quality, drinking water contamination, and unregulated personal care products. Research shows that exposure to worsening air quality, rises in temperature from climate change, gut microbiome effects from chlorinated drinking water and other contaminants, non-nutritive sugar substitutes and other ultra-processed food chemicals, have increased the rates of mental health conditions – mood disorders, anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
Dr. Aly Cohen will discuss evidence-based data on everyday chemicals that we put in, on, and around our bodies and how they contribute to mental health conditions. She will discuss key dietary approaches to reduce toxicity, create clean drinking water, optimize indoor and outdoor air quality, and more! Dr. Cohen will provide practical tips and resources to enable and empower the audience in ways to limit environmental exposures in order to better manage mood, anxiety, depression, and improve overall brain health.
Session Learning Objectives:
1.) Discuss the scope of U.S. toxic chemical exposure.
2.) Examine where toxic chemicals reside and how they make their way in, on, and around the body.
3.) Explore how toxic chemicals affect mood, anxiety, and depression.
4.) Determine how to optimize diet, sleep hygiene, exercise, stress management, and gut health to improve mental health.
5.) Distinguish specific nutrients and supplements that help to manage mental health.
6.) Identify practical tips and resources to limit environmental exposures, prevent disease, and improve mental health conditions.
