The Surprising Way Driving Harms Your Heart
Ah, the dreaded morning and evening commute. Sometimes you can’t see traffic coming until it’s too late, and then you’re trapped with no way out. Other days, you know it’s waiting for you and you resign yourself to a painstakingly slow drive.
No matter how it happens, almost everyone hates being stuck in traffic.
The Invisible Dangers of Driving
What you might not know is that any time you’re stuck in traffic you are increasing your risk for heart disease. (And no, it’s not because your blood pressure is rising.)
It turns out there’s something in the air that raises your risk. And the more you are around traffic— especially sitting in traffic—the higher your risk.
How Your Commute Can Harm Your Heart
It’s been well established that air pollution causes heart attacks. What has been less clear is how this happens. A new study sheds light on how air pollution from cars and trucks can contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular catastrophe.
Published in the journal Environmental Research, the study reveals that exposure to air pollution in traffic is strongly linked to increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP).
Why is CRP so bad? CRP is an indicator of chronic inflammation in the body, and is a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke. While doctors can test for elevated CRP levels, there is no targeted treatment.
What’s worse is that this effect can last for hours after your drive. A study of commuters in the metro Atlanta area showed elevated levels of CRP in tests taken up to 3 hours after driving.
What’s Driving up Your CRP Levels?
The big concern with air pollution relates to small toxins called particulate matter (PM) 2.5. These small particles are released by cars, diesel engines, wood burning, power plants and more.
That’s why sitting in traffic is so bad for your health. All around you are cars and trucks emitting PM 2.5, and as you breathe, that PM 2.5 easily settles deep into the lungs and enters the bloodstream.
In the body, these toxins trigger an inflammatory response, which is linked to higher risk of heart attack, stroke and other diseases.
Putting the Brakes on Toxic Traffic Exposure
Now that you know about this everyday risk, what can you do about it? There are limited options to reduce exposure.
Avoid traffic congestion. This one isn’t exactly doable since let’s face it; you probably have little choice in how and when you have to be on the road.
Turn off the air conditioning. If you’re stuck in traffic, don’t run your vehicle’s air conditioning, which will simply bring in unhealthy air. Switch over to the air recirculating option.
Overall, your best bet is to accept that exposure is inevitable, and focus on how to give your body the best tools to deal with the damage.
Taking out the bad…
First, let’s review how you can take out the bad toxins your body is exposed to every day. The simplest, safest and most cost-effective way to remove toxins is with natural zeolite.
This mineral has a cage-like structure and is negatively-charged. If you remember science class, you’ll know that positively-charged particles will be attracted to negatively-charged particles. In other words, opposites attract.
Zeolite acts like a magnet in the body, attracting positively-charged toxins, and then trapping those toxins in its crystalline structure, before being flushed from the body.
3 Reasons to use Touchstone Essentials’ Pure Body and Pure Body Extra:
- It’s the right zeolite. There are many zeolites, both synthetic and natural. Natural clinoptilolite is the most studied, tested and effective. That’s what you’ll find in Pure Body.
- It’s clean. If a zeolite has not been cleaned of existing pollutants, it’s simply ineffective. Pure Body undergoes a proprietary cleaning process and is third-party tested for purity.
- It’s the right size. Zeolite is not water or fat soluble, so it has to be the right size to be absorbed. Pure Body (drops) is sized so that it provides a digestive and body detox; Pure Body Extra (spray) is sized in the nanometer range to reach to a cellular level.
Putting in the good…
In addition to taking toxins out of the body, you can also support your heart health by putting in foods that help reduce inflammation in the body. Top food sources include:
- Essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in flaxseed, pumpkin seed and borage
- Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, and most leafy greens
- Turmeric root (the source of curcumin)
If your diet is not full of these foods every day, you’ll want to supplement. Wellspring soothes joints and supports your heart with a blend of plant-based essential fatty acids, plus organic extra virgin coconut, along with organic turmeric and organic ginger.
You can also boost your intake of healthy superfoods with an all-in-one organic green juice powder. Super Green Juice provides 44 organic superfoods in every scoop.
