Yes....I have had this gut feeling for many years that chemicals from pollutants are changing our biology and the cause for increase of so many diseases. Thank you for sharing the research that now substantiates my gut. It feels like the chemicals and our use of highly processed materials that surround us, especially in our homes and workplaces are sucking the life-blood energy out of us.
Carole: I’ve been studying how toxic chemicals affect human health for 30 years, but only in the past 10 years have I become convinced that they contribute to most chronic diseases inside and outside the workplace. The good news? That means they are preventable.
I am not a scientist, but an environmentalist advocating to bring natural elements in their raw, unaltered, or minimally processed form indoors to replace the highly processed toxic materials that harm us and our energy, (and now I can say change our biology). I am very excited to learn about this research. Do you also have a website?
Thanks Bruce. I have combed the whole website. You say things in such simple terms for people. Would I you use as the Author for anything on the website......I see so many quotes I would like to reference in my upcoming articles.
Thank you. For Substack, you can quote me and hyperlink the Substack post. LTM is a team effort so you should attribute it to Little Things Matter and hyperlink the website.
I’m reading the “Light Eaters “ and realize the absolute dedication of the researchers in the plant world. Your “work” and that of other human researchers again illustrates dedication and patience on behalf of us all. Thank you.
Great piece, Bruce. I was just talking with an immunologist who sees patients daily who are having overblown immune responses leading to all kinds of chronic allergies and ailments that she believes are the result of environmental toxins in our food, water, and air. She said to me: I tell my patients, living in America is like living on top of a nuclear reactor.
Thanks for an interesting article. Perhaps a few points of clarification may be helpful.
p53, Nrf2, and PPARs cannot be considered independent "master switches", as all three are under the control of thyroid hormone. Anything that alters thyroid hormone metabolism will therefore alter their expression and activity. During gestation, even subtle maternal thyroid changes (such as subclinical hypothyroidism caused by fluoride, PFAS, or more-than-adequate iodine intake → MIREC) alter expression of PGC-1α (a PPAR co-activator) and NRF2-linked mitochondrial genes (Stryhn et al., 2023)
Re: the effects of exercise
The effects of exercise on thyroid hormone metabolism are well established. Changes in peripheral deiodination leading to alterations in thyroid hormone levels are key factors. For example, exercise increases type-2 deiodinase (D2) activity in muscle, raising local T3 (thyroid hormone), which is required for induction of PGC-1α and downstream PPAR activation (Bocco et al., 2016). Thus, the exercise-PPAR link is mediated through thyroid hormone.
However, with toxicants, the effects of exercise are not uniformly beneficial. Exercise increases iodine loss through sweat, and it can also enhance systemic absorption of fluoride, in turn leading to changes in thyroid hormone metabolism. Moderate exercise significantly increased plasma fluoride concentrations and overall fluoride exposure in adults (Mahmood et al., 2021). More fluoride in circulation means greater potential for biological effects.
Framing p53, Nrf2, and PPARs as stand-alone regulators overlooks the fact that they are downstream of thyroid hormone control - and that is really the key issue, as iodine/thyroid status affects how toxicants are metabolized.
Stryhn JKG, Larsen J, Pedersen PL, Gæde PH - "Expressions of mitochondria-related genes in pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism, and expressions of miRNAs in maternal and cord blood" Thyroid Res 16(1):38 (2023) doi: 10.1186/s13044-023-00180-6
Mahmood M, Azevedo LB, Maguire A, Buzalaf M, Zohoori FV - "Pharmacokinetics of fluoride in human adults: The effect of exercise" Chemosphere 262:127796 (2021). doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127796
Thank you. Your detailed comment elegantly makes the case that these master switches are part of a system: "organized circuits, feedback loops, and master switches that coordinate the apparent chaos of life."
For Nrf2, there’s credible mechanistic (animal or laboratory) studies showing that oxidized fragrance allergens alters Nrf2 skin cells. In short term studies, that means they are activating Nrf2 activity.
For PPAR, the clearest links come from phthalates used with fragrances (especially non-DEP phthalates/metabolites), not typical terpene odorants themselves. But if you smell something, it typically contains phthalates.
A marketing campaign could also be effective, especially since fragrances aren’t essential. That’s how Canadian provinces managed to ban “cosmetic pesticides”—those used on lawns and gardens for appearances—when they couldn’t ban agricultural pesticides.
Yes....I have had this gut feeling for many years that chemicals from pollutants are changing our biology and the cause for increase of so many diseases. Thank you for sharing the research that now substantiates my gut. It feels like the chemicals and our use of highly processed materials that surround us, especially in our homes and workplaces are sucking the life-blood energy out of us.
Carole: I’ve been studying how toxic chemicals affect human health for 30 years, but only in the past 10 years have I become convinced that they contribute to most chronic diseases inside and outside the workplace. The good news? That means they are preventable.
I am not a scientist, but an environmentalist advocating to bring natural elements in their raw, unaltered, or minimally processed form indoors to replace the highly processed toxic materials that harm us and our energy, (and now I can say change our biology). I am very excited to learn about this research. Do you also have a website?
Little Things Matter has a website with our social media posts and videos. You can find it here: www.littlethingsmatter.ca
Thanks Bruce. I have combed the whole website. You say things in such simple terms for people. Would I you use as the Author for anything on the website......I see so many quotes I would like to reference in my upcoming articles.
Thank you. For Substack, you can quote me and hyperlink the Substack post. LTM is a team effort so you should attribute it to Little Things Matter and hyperlink the website.
got it.....thanks. I will take a look at your past posts in Substack now.
I’m reading the “Light Eaters “ and realize the absolute dedication of the researchers in the plant world. Your “work” and that of other human researchers again illustrates dedication and patience on behalf of us all. Thank you.
Mom💕
Thank you Mom!
Great piece, Bruce. I was just talking with an immunologist who sees patients daily who are having overblown immune responses leading to all kinds of chronic allergies and ailments that she believes are the result of environmental toxins in our food, water, and air. She said to me: I tell my patients, living in America is like living on top of a nuclear reactor.
Thanks for an interesting article. Perhaps a few points of clarification may be helpful.
p53, Nrf2, and PPARs cannot be considered independent "master switches", as all three are under the control of thyroid hormone. Anything that alters thyroid hormone metabolism will therefore alter their expression and activity. During gestation, even subtle maternal thyroid changes (such as subclinical hypothyroidism caused by fluoride, PFAS, or more-than-adequate iodine intake → MIREC) alter expression of PGC-1α (a PPAR co-activator) and NRF2-linked mitochondrial genes (Stryhn et al., 2023)
Re: the effects of exercise
The effects of exercise on thyroid hormone metabolism are well established. Changes in peripheral deiodination leading to alterations in thyroid hormone levels are key factors. For example, exercise increases type-2 deiodinase (D2) activity in muscle, raising local T3 (thyroid hormone), which is required for induction of PGC-1α and downstream PPAR activation (Bocco et al., 2016). Thus, the exercise-PPAR link is mediated through thyroid hormone.
However, with toxicants, the effects of exercise are not uniformly beneficial. Exercise increases iodine loss through sweat, and it can also enhance systemic absorption of fluoride, in turn leading to changes in thyroid hormone metabolism. Moderate exercise significantly increased plasma fluoride concentrations and overall fluoride exposure in adults (Mahmood et al., 2021). More fluoride in circulation means greater potential for biological effects.
Framing p53, Nrf2, and PPARs as stand-alone regulators overlooks the fact that they are downstream of thyroid hormone control - and that is really the key issue, as iodine/thyroid status affects how toxicants are metabolized.
For further interest:
p53 and Fluoride
https://poisonfluoride.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6009
Bocco BM, Louzada RA, Silvestre DH, Santos MC, Anne-Palmer E, Rangel IF, Abdalla S, Ferreira AC, Ribeiro MO, Gereben B, Carvalho DP, Bianco AC, Werneck-de-Castro JP - "Thyroid hormone activation by type 2 deiodinase mediates exercise-induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α expression in skeletal muscle" J Physiol 594(18):5255-69 (2016). doi: 10.1113/JP272440
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27302464/
Stryhn JKG, Larsen J, Pedersen PL, Gæde PH - "Expressions of mitochondria-related genes in pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism, and expressions of miRNAs in maternal and cord blood" Thyroid Res 16(1):38 (2023) doi: 10.1186/s13044-023-00180-6
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10506244/
Mahmood M, Azevedo LB, Maguire A, Buzalaf M, Zohoori FV - "Pharmacokinetics of fluoride in human adults: The effect of exercise" Chemosphere 262:127796 (2021). doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127796
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep16905
Thank you. Your detailed comment elegantly makes the case that these master switches are part of a system: "organized circuits, feedback loops, and master switches that coordinate the apparent chaos of life."
Yes - and within those circuits thyroid hormone is the upstream regulator.
Another excellent article, Bruce. Is anyone looking specifically at the effects of fragrance chemicals on these pathways?
Very little. Here is a summary:
For Nrf2, there’s credible mechanistic (animal or laboratory) studies showing that oxidized fragrance allergens alters Nrf2 skin cells. In short term studies, that means they are activating Nrf2 activity.
For PPAR, the clearest links come from phthalates used with fragrances (especially non-DEP phthalates/metabolites), not typical terpene odorants themselves. But if you smell something, it typically contains phthalates.
For p53, direct fragrance evidence is scant.
Thanks. I remain hopeful that these chemicals will someday be regulated.
A marketing campaign could also be effective, especially since fragrances aren’t essential. That’s how Canadian provinces managed to ban “cosmetic pesticides”—those used on lawns and gardens for appearances—when they couldn’t ban agricultural pesticides.
I do love having my suspicions confirmed! I’ve been sure that all the chemicals play a huge role. Thanks.