Was Pasteur right? Maybe it was Bernard, or Bechamp?
With so much attention on “the virus”, are we missing an opportunity to optimise our overall health? Learn about the theories of dis-ease, and what you can do in addition to hand-washing, sanitisation & physical distancing to maximise your chances of staying healthy through 2020 & beyond.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices. While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice. Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS
This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!). I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.
This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.
Three Intravenous Vitamin C Research Studies Approved for Treating COVID-19
by Andrew W. Saul, Editor
This article was originally published on Orthomolecular Medicine News Service on February 21, 2020.
(OMNS February 21, 2020) Intravenous vitamin C is already being employed in China against COVID-19 coronavirus. I am receiving regular updates because I am part of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board to the International Intravenous Vitamin C China Epidemic Medical Support Team. Its director is Richard Z. Cheng, MD, PhD; associate director is Hong Zhang, PhD. Among other team members are Qi Chen, PhD (Associate Professor, Kansas University Medical School); Jeanne Drisko, MD (Professor, University of Kansas Medical School); Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD; and Atsuo Yanagisawa, MD, PhD. (Professor, Kyorin University, Tokyo). To read the treatment protocol information in English: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n07.shtml (Protocol in Chinese at http://www.doctoryourself.com/Coronavirus_Chinese_IV_C_Protocol.pdf )
Direct report from China
OMNS Chinese edition editor Dr. Richard Cheng is reporting from China about the first approved study of 12,000 to 24,000 mg/day of vitamin C by IV. The doctor also specifically calls for immediate use of vitamin C for prevention of coronavirus (COVID-19).
A second clinical trial of intravenous vitamin C was announced in China on Feb. 13th. In this second study, says Dr. Cheng, “They plan to give 6,000 mg/day and 12,000 mg/day per day for moderate and severe cases. We are also communicating with other hospitals about starting more intravenous vitamin C clinical studies. We would like to see oral vitamin C included in these studies, as the oral forms can be applied to more patients and at home.” Additional information at http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n11.shtml
And on Feb 21, 2020, announcement has been made of a third research trial now approved for intravenous vitamin C for COVID-19.
Dr. Cheng, who is a US board-certified specialist in anti-aging medicine, adds: “Vitamin C is very promising for prevention, and especially important to treat dying patients when there is no better treatment. Over 2,000 people have died of the COIV-19 outbreak and yet I have not seen or heard large dose intravenous vitamin C being used in any of the cases. The current sole focus on vaccine and specific antiviral drugs for epidemics is misplaced.”
He adds that: “Early and sufficiently large doses of intravenous vitamin C are critical. Vitamin C is not only a prototypical antioxidant, but also involved in virus killing and prevention of viral replication. The significance of large dose intravenous vitamin C is not just at antiviral level. It is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that kills most people from coronaviral pandemics (SARS, MERS and now NCP). ARDS is a common final pathway leading to death.
“We therefore call for a worldwide discussion and debate on this topic.”
News of vitamin C research for COVID-19 is being actively suppressed
Anyone saying that vitamin therapy can stop coronavirus is already being labeled as “promoting false information” and promulgating “fake news.” Even the sharing of verifiable news, and direct quotes from credentialed medical professionals, is being restricted or blocked on social media. You can see sequential examples of this phenomenon at my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/themegavitaminman .
Physician-directed, hospital-based administration of intravenous vitamin C has been marginalized or discredited. Scientific debate over COVID-19 appears to not be allowed.
Ironically, Facebook, blocking any significant users’ sharing of the news of approved vitamin therapy research, is itself blocked in China by the Chinese government. As for the internet, yes, China has it. And yes, it is censored. But, significantly, the Chinese government has not blocked this real news on how intravenous vitamin C will save lives in the COVID-19 epidemic. Here is the protocol as published in Chinese: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n11-chi.shtml
Medical orthodoxy obsessively focuses on searching for a vaccine and/or drug for coronavirus COVID-19). While they are looking for what would be fabulously profitable approaches, we have with vitamin C an existing, plausible, clinically demonstrated method to treat what coronavirus patients die from: severe acute respiratory syndrome, or pneumonia.
And it is available right now.
To read all Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Reports on COVID coronavirus and intravenous vitamin C:
The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.
Editorial Review Board:
Ilyès Baghli, M.D. (Algeria) Ian Brighthope, M.D. (Australia) Prof. Gilbert Henri Crussol (Spain) Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. (USA) Damien Downing, M.D. (United Kingdom) Michael Ellis, M.D. (Australia) Martin P. Gallagher, M.D., D.C. (USA) Michael J. Gonzalez, N.M.D., D.Sc., Ph.D. (Puerto Rico) William B. Grant, Ph.D. (USA) Tonya S. Heyman, M.D. (USA) Suzanne Humphries, M.D. (USA) Ron Hunninghake, M.D. (USA) Michael Janson, M.D. (USA) Robert E. Jenkins, D.C. (USA) Bo H. Jonsson, M.D., Ph.D. (Sweden) Jeffrey J. Kotulski, D.O. (USA) Peter H. Lauda, M.D. (Austria) Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D. (USA) Homer Lim, M.D. (Philippines) Stuart Lindsey, Pharm.D. (USA) Victor A. Marcial-Vega, M.D. (Puerto Rico) Charles C. Mary, Jr., M.D. (USA) Mignonne Mary, M.D. (USA) Jun Matsuyama, M.D., Ph.D. (Japan) Dave McCarthy, M.D. (USA) Joseph Mercola, D.O. (USA) Jorge R. Miranda-Massari, Pharm.D. (Puerto Rico) Karin Munsterhjelm-Ahumada, M.D. (Finland) Tahar Naili, M.D. (Algeria) W. Todd Penberthy, Ph.D. (USA) Dag Viljen Poleszynski, Ph.D. (Norway) Datuk Selvam Rengasamy, MBBS (Malaysia) Jeffrey A. Ruterbusch, D.O. (USA) Gert E. Schuitemaker, Ph.D. (Netherlands) Thomas L. Taxman, M.D. (USA) Jagan Nathan Vamanan, M.D. (India) Garry Vickar, MD (USA) Ken Walker, M.D. (Canada) Anne Zauderer, D.C. (USA)
Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D. (USA), Editor-In-Chief Editor, Japanese Edition: Atsuo Yanagisawa, M.D., Ph.D. (Japan) Editor, Chinese Edition: Richard Cheng, M.D., Ph.D. (USA) Robert G. Smith, Ph.D. (USA), Associate Editor Helen Saul Case, M.S. (USA), Assistant Editor Michael S. Stewart, B.Sc.C.S. (USA), Technology Editor Jason M. Saul, JD (USA), Legal Consultant
Comments and media contact: drsaul@doctoryourself.com OMNS welcomes but is unable to respond to individual reader emails. Reader comments become the property of OMNS and may or may not be used for publication.
Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices. While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice. Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS
This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!). I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.
This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.
I became aware of the dangers of aluminium in deodorants when I was in my teens. As dementia is common on both sides of my family, I definitely knew I wanted to avoid it, let alone the links between antiperspirants & breast cancer. Instead, I used perfumed body sprays that were (and still are) so popular with girls & young women, not realising at the time how much they can mess with hormones. I tried a natural spray deodorant based on tea tree oil, but it barely lasted a few hours before I started to stink. I then tried one of those solid crystal deodorants, only to end up with irritation that looked like a chemical burn. In the bin with that!
I tried so many different things over the years, with limited success. Several years ago, I realised a lot of the newer natural deodorants on the market were based on sodium bicarbonate. I tried dusting bicarb powder on my armpits & found it was amazingly effective! I went on to try a couple of pastes with bicarb which were great…..until the itch started. The itch quickly turned into peeling skin that had me wanting to rip my armpits off. I had developed a sensitivity to bicarb and was back to square one.
As it turns out, I was not the only one and I started seeing bicarb-free deodorant pastes in the shops. Huzzah! I have tried pretty much every one I’ve come across & wanted to share my top 5 with you in case you are a sensitive flower like myself – LOL. All are Australian made, natural and cruelty-free.
1) No Pong – Low Fragrance, Bicarb Free
No Pong is nothing short of fantastic. I find it lasts 2-3 days with no smell, which is how often I shower (daily showers make my skin worse). It has a lovely subtle scent, using some of my favourite essential oils. It’s the same blend of oils they use in their original formulation, just at a lower concentration. They’ve actually dubbed their deodorant as an “anti odourant”, which is probably a more accurate description for a product that prevents the odour forming in the first place. It’s also palm oil free, which is great news for the orangutans. However, if you’re vegan, you may prefer the other deodorants I have listed as No Pong does contain beeswax.
Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Magnesium Hydroxide, Diatomaceous Earth, Beeswax, and a reduced concentration of our fresh, gender neutral, proprietary blend of 100% pure, Australian certified organic essential oils consisting of Orange Sweet, Vanilla, Lemongrass, Cedarwood Atlas, Bergamot, Lime, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, and Geranium.
RRP: $6.95 + Shipping from $3 from their website, $9.95 from retailers for a 35g tin.
Tins can be reused or recycled via roadside collection.
I had the opportunity to try the bicarb-free version of My Shay shortly before it was released on the market. My Shay is based on certified Fair Trade shea butter from West Africa & certified organic coconut oil. All My Shay products are hand-blended & poured about half an hour away from me in Hobart, so it’s great to buy from a local small business! My teenage daughter, who spends several hours a week getting sweaty at dance classes, said she likes My Shay more than No Pong, preferring both the smoother texture & subtle citrusy scent. I find it doesn’t last quite as long (1, maybe 2 days), but I definitely like the texture more. It is also the least likely of all the pastes to leave any white marks on dark clothes.
This is also the option for you if you’re vegan, as it’s free from beeswax & other animal products. Tara who makes it is vegan herself, so this was super-important to her.
Tara took out both Gold & the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Australian Non-Toxic Awards for her regular Lemon Myrtle deodorant (with bicarb) and her original scent was also a Finalist, so she definitely makes top-quality products. She has had a number of people tell her that her bicarb-free deodorant has actually healed irritated and eczema-prone skin, which is amazing! You may also like to try her Detoxifying Charcoal Soap to naturally draw impurities out of the skin and remove the bacteria that causes body odour.
RRP: 30g tin $11.99 / 65g jar $19.99 / 80g refill pouch (home compostable) $21.99 / discounted 4-pack bundles. Free Shipping on many small items, plus Free Shipping on all orders over $50. Upgrade to Express Post available.
You can use the code UNITY10 at checkout to save an extra 10% on your order!
Tins & jars can be reused or recycled via roadside collection. Refill pouches are home-compostable.
I’ll admit that this was a “you had me at Sandalwood” purchase. I really can’t go past anything with Sandalwood….nor can my daughter apparently, who looked at me intensely & insisted we weren’t leaving the store without buying the Santalum Deodorant. There are 3 other varieties available: Nerolina (Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards 2019 Finalist), Piperita (Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards 2019 Winner) & Ternifolia (unscented), but it’s all about the Santalum in this house!
Like My Shay, this deodorant is vegan & hand-made, although somewhat further from us on the Gold Coast, and it’s palm oil free.
The first thing I noticed (after the beautiful scent) was the silky, powdery texture of the crème-to-powder formula. It’s much softer than the other deodorants and very easy to spread without having to wait a few seconds for it to warm to body temperature. They say on their website that it’s a non-staining formula and it’s true that there’s no lasting stains, but I do find it leaves white powdery residue on dark clothes, so you need to be careful getting dressed or be prepared to wipe down your clothes with a damp cloth.
Even though I love this scent the most, I do find that I react slightly to something in it (possibly the almond oil as I’m a bit iffy with nuts), but this is my daughter’s top choice.
As a bonus, Good + Clean donates 10% of every sale to land and ocean conservation projects.
4) Black Chicken Axilla Paste – Barrier Booster for Sensitive Skin
For months, I saw people RAVING online about Black Chicken deodorant. It seemed to be the go-to amongst lovers of non-toxic products. It sounded great, but it was another product with bicarb. Then (drumroll), they released their bicarb-free version, Barrier Booster.
It lasts 1-2 days, spreads easily & smells lovely. It’s vegan-friendly & palm oil free. The oils and fatty acids actually help to strengthen sensitive skin, reducing sensitivity over time.
They also have an agreement with Terracycle where you can send back any Black Chicken packaging that can’t be recycled via roadside collection (at your cost) & you’ll receive a $10 e-gift card to use on their website.
RRP: 75g plastic jar $19.50 / Free shipping over $75 / Afterpay available
PET jar bases can be recycled in roadside collection. Lids may need to be returned to Black Chicken for recycling as there’s no recycling code on them.
Woohoo was probably the first paste-style deodorant I tried, although I started with the Urban scent that does contain bicarb. It worked well until I couldn’t tolerate it.
Even though they did all they could to balance the pH of their original formulas, it wasn’t enough for us super-sensitive types, so they created Mellow. Not only is it bicarb-free, it’s also the only deodorant in this list that contains no essential oils, which can also irritate some people. That makes it a great choice for pregnant & breastfeeding women who want to avoid essential oils, or those who just don’t like scented products. Like all except No Pong, this deodorant is vegan-friendly.
As you may have noticed, Magnesium Hydroxide (AKA ‘Milk of Magnesia’) is a hero ingredient in all of these deodorants due to its ability to safely kill bacteria on the skin. Magnesium is required for over 300 normal processes in the human body & most of us are deficient in it, so this is a much healthier option to aluminium salts which are neurotoxic and block sweat glands. On that note, none of these deodorants will stop you from sweating, and that’s a GOOD thing. Sweating is a great detoxification pathway which we don’t want to stop, but the ingredients in the deodorants will slow the growth of odour-causing bacteria on the skin.
With all of the pastes, the application method is the same: apply a pea-sized amount under each armpit & gently massage into the skin. Easy as!
So that’s my top 5 deodorants for sensitive skin. Although they are all similar in ingredients, there are subtle differences that will affect which choice is right for you.
I’d love to know which one you love the most, or if there’s any others you think I should try, so please comment below 😊
BONUS #6
So, it’s been a few months since I first wrote this post and I am always trying different products so I know which ones I’m happy to recommend to you. In the past, I haven’t really loved roll-on deodorants because I’ve found they tend to lose effectiveness really quickly, almost to the point it’s like I’m rolling ON stench. Ewww! I’m guessing it may be because of bacteria transferring to the bottle from the roller, but who knows? I’ve just avoided them based on past experience.
However, someone recommended I try the certified organic Milk of Magnesia Ultrasensitive Roll-on Deodorant from Miessence. I was ordering some of their shampoo & conditioner anyway, so figured I’d give the deodorant a go. I’m so glad I did! I’ve been using it for several weeks with zero reaction and there’s also no roll-on stench effect as I near the end of my first bottle (and yes, I’ve ordered more). I get a good 2-3 days out of one application. There are only four ingredients and it’s great for anyone sensitive to essential oils, having only a very subtle neutral scent from organic vanilla extract.
It is definitely a worthy addition to the list of my ‘Favourite Deodorants for Sensitive Skin’ so if you prefer a roll-on to a paste, or you’re accustomed to using conventional roll-on deodorant, this is one you need to try.
Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices. While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice. Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS
This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!). I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.
This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.
What exactly is ‘Pink Noise’ and how might it help you or your child to get a deeper, more restful sleep?
When my teenager was born, she had bad colic and wasn’t entirely keen on sleeping….and rarely in her own space. I know it’s biologically normal for babies to be close to a primary carer (usually, that means Mum) and had no problem co-sleeping and baby wearing. However, as a first-time Mum with little practical support, I certainly had days I didn’t cope so well. Looking for some solutions, I came across the concept of “white noise” and bought the ‘Sounds for Silence’ CD by Australian Paediatrician, Dr Harry Zehnwirth. A blend of domestic noises (think the vacuum cleaner, radio static, washing machine) and rhythmic maternal sounds, the tracks replicate the sounds babies may hear in-utero to calm and soothe the brain and nervous system to allow them to ease into a sleep state. It made a significant difference, with me often saying it should be included in every baby bag handed out in hospitals. There are some tracks that worked better than others, so I just put those on repeat and would often just take that time to do some meditation to the swooshing sounds.
White Noise vs Pink Noise (and other colours)
Sounds can be categorised by their wave patterns which correspond with the wave patterns of colours in the visible light spectrum. Both white noise & pink noise contain all the frequencies audible to humans, the difference being the way the power is distributed through those frequencies. Where as white noise has equal power per hertz through all frequencies, pink noise decreases in power per hertz as the frequency increases. This results in lower frequencies in pink noise being louder and having more power with a deeper tone, even though most people perceive pink noise as being flat or even.
Sounds that can be classified as white noise include radio or television static, a whirring fan or an air-conditioner. Because all frequencies are of an equal intensity, they can drown out other noises that may stimulate your brain and make it difficult to sleep.
Now think of the sound of steady rain, of leaves rustling in the wind or the familiar lub-thump of a heartbeat. Those are all examples of pink noise. You could say pink noise is white noise with a bass boost.
Brown (Brownian) noise, sometimes called red noise, is deeper again – think rolling thunder or a large waterfall – although there’s not as much evidence to support its effectiveness as a sleep aid.
Just as black is a lack of light, black noise refers to silence, with occasional random noise. Some people love sleeping in silence (myself included), but for many, especially young children, it can be unsettling as they are used to background noises in the womb. A lack of noise may represent abandonment and can trigger a fear response.
There’s also blue noise, violet noise, green noise & grey noise, but for sleep, pink noise has shown greater benefits.
Given that it does not conveniently rain every night, nor do the majority of us live near the base of a roaring waterfall or in the middle of a forest, we need to turn to recordings of these frequencies, either based on sounds from nature or replicated in a studio environment.
There are a number of free recordings on YouTube, as well as Noise Generator websites and apps that allow you to listen to pre-set ‘colours’ or adjust the frequencies to suit your personal preference.
You can also purchase a pink noise device like the Aroma Snooze sleep aid. What I like about this option is not only do you get pre-recorded pink noise, but it also contains lullabies to help babies sleep, nature sounds, a heartbeat sound & a voice recorder so you can record shushing sounds or lullabies in your own voice. For older children and adults, you can use it to record special messages, mantras and affirmations to play through the night, which will be ‘heard’ by the subconscious mind. The Aroma Snooze is also an air purifier & ioniser, ultrasonic essential oil diffuser (no heat or condensation issues) and contains a red/orange LED light, known to support melatonin release to ensure proper sleep patterns. It comes with a 15ml complimentary 100% Australian Certified Organic essential oil blend designed to support relaxation and sleep.
You can watch an interview with Julie Parr, the creator of the Aroma Snooze HERE or watch the video below as she runs through all the features:
Have you tried sound therapy to help your baby sleep, or even to overcome your own insomnia? I’d love to know how it helped you, so please comment below.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
Unity Wellness provides health-related information to assist people in making their own choices. While we have exercised due care to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, it is not intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice. Unity Wellness does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.
AFFILIATE & ADVOCATE LINKS
This post/site may contain Affiliate links or links to my Independent Advocate store. By clicking these links, you pay no more for the products/services, but I will receive a commission on purchases to keep this site running & support my family (thank you!). I will never promote any products or services that I would not be happy to use myself.
This website is owned and operated by an independent InnerOrigin Advocate and is not endorsed by InnerOrigin Pty Ltd or InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their respective associated companies. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by, and are the responsibility of, the individual Advocate and should not be construed as a representation of the opinions of InnerOrigin Pty Ltd, InnerOrigin Australia Pty Ltd or any of their associated companies.
When Professor Marc Cohen (AKA ‘Dr Marc’) asked what the best water filter was for his home, the answer was, “It depends”. Every type of filter has pros and cons and there is no one filter that ticks all the boxes. As Dr Marc says though, “you can either use a filter, or become one” and he set out to find the best technology currently available.
The Importance of Water
We know that water is essential to life. We have all heard that humans are around 70% water. While that’s true based on volume and mass, Dr Marc says that on a molecular level, we’re actually 99% water. As such, the quality of the water that we’re exposed to can significantly impact our health. According to an analysis just released by the EWG, substances in drinking water can even increase your risk of cancer.
Clean water is the cheapest way of improving health. On a large scale, this involves adding chlorine &/or chloramine to Municipal water supplies to kill common pathogenic bacteria. It does the job well, but with all we’re learning about the microbes responsible for 90% or more of our genetic expression, now the question is what effects are these chemicals having on our gut microbiome? These microbes help to control our thoughts, mood, diet, appetite, what food we want to eat and even who we want to be with. They also impact our gut permeability, nutrient uptake and immune function.
It’s not just the water we drink that matters, though. We’re exposed to 10x more water through bathing each day than what we drink and when water is heated, the chlorine and its by-products (such as trihalomethanes, or THMs) become volatile and are easily inhaled. The skin surface area of an average adult is around 2m2 and we’re covered is beneficial microbes. Our lungs have a surface area of around 150m2, or nearly the size of a tennis court, with a high permeability to allow the normal exchange of gasses to & from our bloodstream. As such, there’s probably no part of our body not affected by the chlorine.
Here are the ‘10 Calamities of Chlorine‘ by Dr Marc:
1) Chlorine is a potent poison Chlorine is so toxic to bacteria it makes great disinfectants, antiseptics, pesticides and antibiotics. The acrid smell of chlorine can be detected above 0.1 ppm, inhaling 1- 4 ppm damages the lungs, above 40 ppm causes acute chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough, and above 400 ppm is fatal.
2) Chlorine has many toxic forms Chlorine gas was used to kill soldiers in the First World War. Chlorine bleach and disinfectants produce toxic disinfection by-products. Organochlorines like DDT are persistent pollutants that accumulate in the food chain. Chlorofluorocarbons are volatile compounds toxic to the ozone layer. PVC releases dioxins and other hazardous waste into the environment.
3) Chlorine is toxic when ingested Chlorine forms poisonous acids in the body and its disinfection by-products such as Trihalomethanes are known to cause cancer and birth defects. Persistent exposure to low levels of chlorine and its by-products in contaminated drinking water and food may lead to gut dysbiosis and a wide range of chronic diseases.
4) Chlorine is toxic on skin Chlorine in bathing water directly irritates and dries out skin and hair and may alter the skin microflora leading to skin dysbiosis. Chlorine may cause or aggravate many diseases including psoriasis, allergies, eczema, contact dermatitis, acne, poor wound healing, skin ulcers, dandruff, yeast and fungal infections, rosacea, and accelerated skin aging.
5) Chlorine is toxic when inhaled Chlorine and its volatile by-products are released when chlorinated water is heated and are easily inhaled. Chlorine irritates the mucous membranes in your eyes, nose and respiratory tract and causes immediate or delayed symptoms including watering eyes, sneezing, sinus congestion, coughing, choking, wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and death.
6) Chlorine is volatile Chlorine and its volatile by-products avoid the first-pass metabolism in your liver by being directly absorbed into the bloodstream through the large surface area of your lungs and skin. Exposure to hot water through bathing, showering, dishwashing or other activities, therefore, produces greater exposure to disinfection by-products than exposure through drinking.
7) Chlorine is more toxic for the young Chlorinated water is associated with higher rates of stillbirths and birth defects. Infants and young children’s skin, eyes, respiratory tract and developing microbiome are more sensitive to chlorine and its by-products, which may contribute to the development and aggravation of asthma, hay fever, allergies, skin irritation and gut dysbiosis.
8) Chlorine leads to leaks Chlorine and its volatile by-products can erode flexible, braided water hoses leading to leaks and plumbing failure when chlorine-based cleaners and disinfectants are stored nearby. Chlorine can also cause pinhole pitting in copper pipes and cause leaks and water damage to buildings and the development of dampness, moisture and mould.
9) Chlorine leaches lead Chlorine and its by-products are corrosive agents and they combine with pH, alkalinity, temperature, oxidation potential, and other chemicals to leach lead from pipes, solder and ‘lead-free’ brass plumbing fixtures. Lead in drinking water leads to neurotoxicity, and stunted cognitive development, learning disabilities, attention difficulties and antisocial behaviour in children.
10) Chlorine makes hazardous waste Chlorine-based products such as PVC produce dioxins and other hazardous Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) when they are burned. POPs are toxic to human and wildlife at low levels, do not degrade easily, are distributed around the globe through long-range environmental transport, and bioaccumulate up the food chain in fatty tissue.
An Increasingly Toxic World
Chlorine and chloramine are not the only toxins in our water. There’s a saying that “the solution to pollution is dilution”, and for the last century in particular, humans have discharged all sorts of toxins into sewers, streams, rivers and oceans with this idea that it would just wash away. However, we have now created so much pollution that it doesn’t just disappear. Testing was done on the breastmilk of a native tribe in New Guinea who lived 2000km away from agriculture and an elevation of 2000m and DDT (an organochlorine) was found that they’d never been exposed to in any other way. These chemicals are part of the water cycle now and fall in rain and enter underground aquifers world-wide. In the last few decades, we’ve seen an average loss 2/3 of all species on Earth, increasing to around 78% near ‘fresh’ water.
Common pollutants in our drinking water include:
pharmaceutical drugs (including the oral contraceptive pill and antibiotics)
pesticides
herbicides (such as glyphosate)
heavy metals
viruses
bacteria
parasites
protozoa
cysts
mould spores
sediment
radioactive materials
fire retardants
VOCs
Thirsty yet?
Even if you are on tank water, many of these pollutants are still in the water, so filtration is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. I find our garden plants suffer when watered with tap water, my gut issues get so much worse and when I run a bath for my young daughter, the bathroom smells like an indoor swimming pool.
Whole-House Water Filters
Dr Marc’s motto is “drinking less poison is good for you”. The man has a point! However, as we can see above, we also need to consider what’s in ALL the water coming into our homes.
Aragon filter cartridges offer the latest in water filter technology, being 20x more effective than common ion-exchange filters. Testing in both Europe and America show they remove 100% of viruses and chlorine, 99.999% of sediments, around 95% of chloramine, pathogens, pesticide residues, pharmaceutical drugs, and parasites, and reduce fluoride by about half. As a bonus, the calcium in the water is reduced to a smaller, more crystalline structure that does not form scale deposits, which means less scrubbing of tiles and shower screens, your hot water cylinder and appliances will last longer, your skin and hair will feel softer and less irritated, and it’s kinder on your digestive tract and kidneys.
Having a whole-house filter will give you the comfort of knowing you can drink, cook, shower, bathe, groom your pets and irrigate your plants using water free from toxic contaminants such as chlorine, chloramines, pesticides, heavy metals, hardness salts, dissolved and colloidal iron, radioactive materials, sediment, and a range of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, cysts, mould spores and residues from pharmaceutical drugs.
Those of you who create your own ferments & sourdough will also know how important it is to use purified water, free from chlorine and other substances that may damage the beneficial microbes.
The Big Blue twin filter system is designed for use where a high flow rate is needed, either domestically or in commercial premises. With a flow rate of 50 L/min, the whole family can enjoy filtered water at the same time (most showerheads have a flow rate of 7-9 L/min to give you an idea). They come with a 5 year warranty and you can choose between UV-stabilised polypropylene casing that should last outdoors around 15 years or stainless steel casing that will likely last a lifetime. Big Blue filters also meet AU/NZ WaterMark Standards.
I know a lot of people are concerned about fluoride and I’m one who’d love to see the end of mass medication through water fluoridation (a topic for another day). However, the only way to remove 100% of fluoride is through reverse osmosis which does not allow for the fast flow needed for showers, baths, dishwashers and washing machines. If you do want a reverse osmosis system for drinking and cooking water, there are countertop or below sink systems available. The reverse osmosis process takes out everything from the water, but that can leave it “dead” and devoid of minerals that help the water get into our cells to hydrate them. The systems I’ve linked to have an extra cartridge to add alkaline minerals back into the purified water which help the water to enter your cells for proper hydration.
For more general information on why we need to reduce our exposure to toxins, you can also read a great article by Dr Marc about the ‘10 Toxic Truths‘.
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Hi, I'm a former Naturopath-turned-unschooling-parent to a toddler & a tween living in the beautiful South of Tasmania. I'm now helping others on their own journey to wellness & abundance through connecting with their community. I look forward to getting to know you better!Read more...
pharmaceutical drugs (including the oral contraceptive pill and antibiotics)
Having a whole-house filter will give you the comfort of knowing you can drink, cook, shower, bathe, groom your pets and irrigate your plants using water free from toxic contaminants such as chlorine, chloramines, pesticides, heavy metals, hardness salts, dissolved and colloidal iron, radioactive materials, sediment, and a range of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, cysts, mould spores and residues from pharmaceutical drugs.
