Toxic Talks Blog

9/19/16

Toxic Talk of the Month – Your New Book Review!

As a new component of this blog, I’d like to introduce “Toxic Talk of the Month.” A book review! Each month, Toxic Talk of the Month will feature a new book recommendation from me to you! I promise to ONLY recommend books I have personally read. No insincere recommendations! A perk to this book review is the “no junk” filter I will apply to all reads. As I'll discuss in my next blog, identifying a credible information source can be challenging, particularly relating to complex issues of science and health. So let me do the work! In this review, books full of pseudoscience and informational inaccuracies won’t make the cut.

As you might imagine, featured books will resemble the topics we discuss in Toxic Talks Blog; namely, harmful chemicals, nutrition, and the environment. So if you like this blog, keep your eye out for the Toxic Talk of the Month. Each review will briefly discuss the focus of a book, pointing out any main highlights/shortcomings where needed. So drop by. See if a book suits you. Maybe you’ll discover your new favorite read!

To kick off this very first Toxic Talk of the Month, I have selected Nena Baker’s 2009 Gold Nautilus Book Award winner, “The Body Toxic.” Nena Baker is a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic, The Oregonian, and United Press International. Her featured book reads like a personal exposé, chronicling the world of chemical exposure through the lens of a journalist. Mostly focused on BpA exposure from food containers, phthalates in plastics and cosmetics, and fire retardants in your furniture, this book does a good job discussing the toxicity of everyday products without frazzling the non-science reader. It also dives into some of the politics surrounding chemical exposures and regulations, which I think is important.

The Body Toxic is a fairly quick read. I would especially recommend it if you’re seeking to get your feet wet in the world of chemical exposure without getting lost in the complex science. My only criticism is that it is not dense with detail. However, that is my common criticism with many books. I’ve come to realize that most books don’t contain as much detail as I’d like. Perhaps that’s why I often enjoy textbooks! In any case, if you’re not looking for a rigorous scientific read then “The Body Toxic” could be right for you. For more detail on the book and author visit The Body Toxic. Let me know what you think of this book in the comments sections below. Happy read!! =)

To encourage future blogs of this kind please join my blog site! Simply click “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.” Thanks!

Shahir Masri

Doctor of Science

Environmental Health Science

9/15/16

Hot Talk Revivals - Vaccines and Autism

Hey friends!

I want to thank you all for your readership over the years! While blogging I of course notice greater popularity of some topics over others. With that said I'd like to introduce a new feature of this blog titled "Hot Talk Revivals" through which I'll bring back a selected "hot talk," or popular blog, from the past with each coming season. Any new thoughts on the topic? Have you applied any health tips? If so, how'd it go? Or if you're new to the Toxic Talks Blog, Hot Talk Revivals will be your opportunity to catch up on the Talks!

For our first Revival, the Hot Talk I've chosen is an article I coincidentally wrote nearly five years ago today! Titled "Vaccines and Autism," this piece dives into the controversy surrounding vaccines as a potential cause of autism. View the article below:

Vaccines and Autism

As a brief followup to this article, it's worth mentioning that the field of environmental health continues to make headway in uncovering the etiology of autism. That is, scientists have not been content in accepting an unknown cause of autism. They have pressed forward towards other potential environmental causes for autism. One suspected cause is air pollution. In fact, studies coming out of my former department at Harvard have begun to show this connection (Roberts et al. 2013; Roberts et al. 2015). Check them out! Of course more studies are needed before we can draw firm conclusions, but the results are nonetheless fascinating.

Debate we hear now relating to vaccines and autism is largely residual debate confined to public and political circles. It bears no reflection of the current state of public health research. The scientific community has moved on to other hypotheses. Now let us all move on.

If you liked this article, please encourage more articles to come by joining this blog site! Simply click “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.” Thanks!

References

Roberts, A.L., K. Lyall, J.E. Hart, F. Laden, A.C. Just, J.F. Bobb, K.C. Koenen, A. Ascherio, and M.G. Weisskopf. 2013. Perinatal Air Pollutant Exposures and Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Children of Nurses’ Health Study II Participants. Environ Health Perspect. 121(8):978-985.
Raz, R., A.L. Roberts, K. Lyall, J.E. Hart, A.C. Just, F. Laden, and M.G. Weisskopf. Autism Spectrum Disorder and Particulate Matter Air Pollution before, during, and after Pregnancy: A Nested Case–Control Analysis within the Nurses’ Health Study II Cohort. Environ Health Perspect. 123(3):264-270.

Shahir Masri
Doctor of Science
Environmental Health Science

9/12/16

Dakota Access Pipeline - The Latest!

Dear bloggies, I’ve been long-wanting to cover this issues which has been unfolding in North Dakota. It’s heavily tangled in emotion, involving economics and social justice. Or more simply, corporate America vs. Native America. The issue is the Dakota Access Pipeline. It's been all over social media, but peculiarly devoid from most mainstream news.

What’s the Issue?

The Dakota Access pipeline, if fully constructed, would run 1,100 miles from oil fields in northwest North Dakota to a refinery and port in Illinois. Although most of the pipeline would cross private land owned by Energy Transfer Partners, the project still needs U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval as there are portions that cross federal waterways. Since April, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe along with hundreds of Native protestors have been demonstrating on tribal land near the Missouri River in opposition to the project. The gathering represents one of the largest Native protests in ages.

In July, following approval of the project, the Standing Rock Tribe sued the U.S. Army Corps, alleging that the pipeline’s construction would destroy nearby sacred and burial sites. They also claimed it would contaminate the tribe’s drinking water if the pipeline ever leaked. The tribe sought a temporary injunction to halt construction. Sadly this attempt would be in vain as the court declined the request for an injunction. James Boasberg of the D.C. district court stated that federal law had been appropriately followed in approving the pipeline.

However, almost immediately following this devastating defeat last Friday the tribes won an enormous victory, at least temporarily, as the Obama administration made a surprise announcement that it would not permit the project to continue for the time being. The U.S. government has requested that the pipeline company “voluntarily pause all construction activity within 20 miles east or west of Lake Oahe,” said a joint statement from the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Army. The Army Corps will now “reconsider any of its previous decisions” regarding whether the pipeline adheres to federal law, especially concerning the National Environmental Policy Act, said the statement.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Does industry have the ethical right to build this pipeline, potentially threatening sacred sites of the Native Americans? Is this merely another egregious marginalization of the priorities of Native Americans? What about securing oil for the U.S. economy, how should this tie in? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave your comments below and we can get a discussion going. And if you’ve missed any of the action, here is a video clip filmed by Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, who captured the heart of the demonstration. There is currently a warrant out for her arrest for trespassing during the demonstration, I might add. Do some of your own research too in order to learn more, and visit YouTube for more videos of the action!

Please join this blog to help support my upcoming projects. Cick “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.” Thanks!!

Shahir Masri
Doctor of Science
Environmental Health Science

9/6/16

Health & Science – Questioning What You "Know"

Imagine a recent conversation where you recommended dietary advice to someone. Or maybe you suggested how best they rid their cold. Or perhaps you were explaining climate science. Now take a step back. Reflect on the assertions you made and the “facts” you knew. Where did you learn your facts? A health magazine? CNN? Online? A family friend? Maybe they were facts you’ve simply always known.

My focus in grad school was to understand the world of chemical exposures. Before grad school, I knew a bit about chemical toxicity through word of mouth and reading. While school reinforced and expanded this knowledge, near the end of grad school there were still previously held “facts” of mine that professors failed to mention. Why was this? One such issue was surrounding the chemical Teflon™ used to coat non-stick pots and pans. Since I was a kid I had known Teflon™ was toxic, so I should be careful not to use metal cooking utensils because this would scrape off the toxic Teflon™ particles into my food. Why didn’t my professors know about this public health concern? Why didn’t they discuss it? I decided to dig on my own through the peer-reviewed scientific literature. I discovered info on the inhalation of Teflon™ fumes (still not healthy!), but nothing about consuming particles while cooking. My search yielded negative results. Why were these articles so hard to find?? I gave up my initial search for a while. It wasn’t until another year that I resumed. Still, negative results! I began to question this “fact” I had always known. Was it fact at all?

By chance the following month a guest lecturer spoke at my class. She was an expert on Teflon™-like chemicals. Yes! Finally I could ask an expert who specialized in this stuff. But disheartened I would remain, for her response did not support my “fact.” Rather than push forward with my search, it was time to sit back and reflect. Where had I first heard this fact? Well I had always known it. This meant I must have heard it when I was a kid…so either from another kid, a grown-up, or the T.V. Really?! Neither children nor the media are trustworthy sources of information. And most grown-ups are no better. I would not cite any of these sources if I was writing a paper! Yet this was the basis of my long-held “fact” about Teflon™. Something I was told as a kid and simply accepted into adulthood. What a disappointing realization! But it made sense. I wasn’t finding scientific support for my fact, because it wasn’t fact. This was not the finding I sought, but an important one nonetheless. And I’m glad I got to the bottom of it.

I’m sharing this story with you because it’s imperative for each of us to sit back and reflect on our sources before we propagate information forward. We all know “facts” about a variety of issues, from climate change to healthy eating. But just because we know “facts” doesn’t mean we know facts. And facts we’ve “always known” may be nothing more than well-intentioned messages that imprinted on our minds during childhood. Facts from magazines and websites are just as worthy to question. In an age where reading is becoming increasingly rare, people are relying on ever-smaller volumes of literature to establish their known beliefs; thus leading to the increased propagation of misinformation. This has been no thanks to the wealth of biased websites on the internet (discussed in a later blog)! So let us remember to think critically about the facts we hear and read, and to not cling stubbornly to previously held beliefs. Beliefs come from somewhere. Ask yourself where yours came from. Are they credible?

Please join this blog to help support my upcoming projects. Cick “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.” Thanks!!

Shahir Masri
Doctor of Science
Environmental Health Science

8/31/16

A Word on Potatoes

While often lumped into the “vegetable” category, potatoes are not a great way to meet your daily vegetable needs. You may have noticed in his Healthy Eating Plate that Dr. Willett has removed potatoes from the vegetable category, instead placing them in the “use sparingly” category. This is because potatoes have undesirable effects on levels of blood sugar and insulin in the body. That is, as with blended fruit/veggie drinks discussed previously, potatoes act more like carbohydrates than they do like veggies or fruits in the body. They are rapidly broken down, leading to insulin spikes and the over absorption of blood glucose. This means they do not keep you full for very long as well as contribute to insulin resistance (higher risk for obesity and diabetes). Further, studies show that potatoes are not linked to the same health benefits as are other fruits and vegetables.

Does all this mean that potatoes are bad? No. However, it does mean that you should treat them more like carbohydrates than vegetables. That is, on your dinner plate, potatoes should not be replacing your salad, Brussels sprouts, or roasted carrots. Instead, think of them as replacements for bread, rice, pasta, etc. However, even in this comparison potatoes stand to lose. Potatoes are more akin to a refined grain. So if you have already made the recommended switch from refined to whole grain products, then don’t use potatoes as a substitute. Whole grains are the better choice, for reasons described in my previous blog.

In my diet, I have mostly done away with potatoes. Sure, everyone loves mashed potatoes, French fries, and hash browns. And don’t get me wrong, I allow for these things in my diet every now and then, particularly at a restaurant or if I'm a guest at dinner. On a daily basis, however, and especially in my own cooking, I avoid potatoes. A great substitute for potatoes that I use is corn. Corn is broken down by the body more slowly, leaving you fuller longer, and contains beta-carotene for vitamin A production as well as healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids. What’s more, an ear of corn is generally much lower in calories than a medium sized potato, so it’s easier to not go overboard with eating. A final perk is that corn is SUPER quick and easy to cook. Unlike potatoes, which you have to boil or fry for a long time, you need only cook an ear of corn for two minutes in the microwave! And don’t worry, microwaves are not “bad” ways to cook food, which I can discuss in another blog.

Another great potato substitute is sweet potatoes. Though similar in calories, compared to regular potatoes sweet potatoes have a much richer nutritional profile. They are higher in fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are also broken down slower by the body than regular potatoes, therefore having a lower glycemic index.

It is worth mentioning that there is also something called glycemic load, and that corn and sweet potatoes also have lower glycemic loads (a good thing!) compared to ordinary potatoes. However, I will save the distinction between glycemic index and glycemic load, as well as the importance of each, for another blog. For now, happy eating!!

Please join this blog to help support my upcoming projects. Simply click “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.” Thanks!! =D

Shahir Masri
Doctor of Science
Environmental Health Science

8/27/16

Happy Summer - With New Topics to Come! =)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer! I know mine has been busy transitioning back to California after graduating and moving home from Boston. I’m super excited though to return to the blogging world this fall, with a bunch of new topics to discuss. You’ll probably notice this blog has begun to incorporate quite a bit of nutrition as I’ve become more passionate about shedding light on “total” health as opposed to simply chemical-induced toxicity. I hope you like this change. It is for everyone’s benefit. I will continue to blog in both areas now moving forward. Some topics you can look forward to over the following months include:

Cosmetics – How to avoid toxic ingredients
The politics of the USDA Food Pyramid
The role of potatoes in your diet
Sunscreen – Better or worse than the sun? How do brands differ?
Got calcium? – Why milk isn’t the answer
Climate Change - Understanding the science

If you have additional topics you’d like me to cover, please let me know in the comments section below!! :D And be sure to “follow” this blog, otherwise you'll be unable to leave comments.

Shahir Masri

Doctor of Science
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

4/25/16

Happy Earth Day! - Special Video

Hello blog world!

Happy Earth Day 2016 to you all!! After a few month hiatus from blogging, I am overjoyed to report back to you as doctor of science! Yes, after many years in grad school, I have successfully defended and submitted my dissertation =) Aka the long road has ended, and a new chapter has opened. And what better day to return to the blogging world than Earth Day?! It’s only the funniest coincidence that the end of my long road as a student of environmental science has reached its climax on this particular day, Earth Day! Yes, my dissertation was officially due to the Registrar today. A suitable conclusion date to say the least!

To shed light on important news, today also marks a very special Earth Day for the international community and world as it relates to climate change. Today at the United Nations headquarters in New York, representatives from 175 nations have gathered to sign the historic Paris Climate Accord. Following years of U.N. climate negotiations, this marks a critical first step in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, the treaty is non-binding. However, drawing from history, this does not necessarily render it less effective. Rather, because it is non-binding, nations from across the globe have joined the table. And with voluntary reduction targets and annual follow up, we have finally set in motion important and widespread climate action. Actions and future commitments will only strengthen in time.

Finally, given this wonderful Earth Day, what better time to debut my first public service announcement (PSA)?? This PSA, titled “Help Save the Oceans with the Beach Boys,” advocates for the cleanup and prevention of water pollution, and is set to display on cable networks and city website throughout the country! Importantly, garbage and chemical waste run-off affects more than just the beauty of our rivers, lakes, and oceans. It damages marine life, threatens aquatic ecosystems, and even works its way into the human body through fish consumption. It’s therefore critical to dispose of waste properly and encourage others to do the same.

Shedding light on this issue is something I am proud to be a part of. I owe an enormous thank you to Frank Lane at COLAnow.org for inviting me aboard this project. His committed efforts are what made this PSA possible. And a big thanks to the classic rock band The Beach Boys for taking part in our important message! Without further delay, I present to you...

Help Save the Oceans with the Beach Boys

Please help spread awareness of this issue by sharing this video on Facebook and other media outlets! It can be your earthly Earth Day deed! :D For more information, visit COLAnow.org.

Also, be sure to join this blog! Simply click “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.” Thanks and happy Earth Day!!!

-Shahir Masri, S.D.