New research reveals pollution is messing with our hormones and metabolism…
WTF? Here we are spending $100 a month on goat yoga classes (this is genuinely a thing), drinking horrific concoctions of spirulina and smothering ourselves in coconut oil all in the name of health and mindfulness; when all we need to do is breathe and our stress levels and metabolism are f*cked.
New research suggests that breathing dirty air causes stress hormones to spike, which might go some way in explaining why long-term exposure to pollution is associated with heart disease, strokes, diabetes and a shorter life span. Dr. Haidong Kan of Fudan University in Shanghai, looked specifically at the health effects of particulate matter (PM), small particles less than 2.5 millimeters in diameter, from industrial sources, that can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs. In a study, students who were exposed to higher levels of pollution over a 12-day period experienced an increase in the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, as did their blood sugar, amino acids, fatty acids and lipids.
While New Zealand’s air isn’t anywhere near as bad as the rest of the world – London Mayor, Sadiq Khan issued the highest air pollution alert in London for the first time this year and said that the capital’s ‘filthy air’ is now a ‘health crisis’ – air pollution is responsible for approximately 1400 premature death each year in our country, and 1100 of those are due to sources caused by humans.
So, the next time you’re coughing and spluttering due to the fumes that just drove past you, take a moment to reflect on what more can be done.
