With a houseful of kids I’m always hunting for easy breakfast ideas. It needs to be high protein, fast, and something the kids will love too. My go-to is usually eggs, but sometimes you can only eat so many eggs.
We’ve tried plenty of breakfast recipes over the years and some have been more of a hit than others.
That’s where these high-protein oat pancakes come in. You make these pancakes in a blender (hello, easy cleanup). Plus they’re packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you energized and feeling full. Oats are naturally gluten-free so they’re great for anyone avoiding gluten.
Fluffy Protein Pancakes
So, how can oats make a pancake that’s fluffy, light, and not dense? The trick is to blend the oats into a fine flour first. This step is key to achieving that perfect pancake texture, while still getting the fiber and benefits of whole oats. Plus, by using whey protein powder, these pancakes are high in protein. I always feel better when I focus on a protein rich breakfast and my blood sugar stays more stable.
And did I mention how easy this recipe is? You literally just toss everything into the blender, blend it up, and cook. No fuss, no mess. In just a few minutes, you’ll have fluffy, protein-packed pancakes that will leave you wondering why you ever bothered with the boxed stuff.
Fluffy Oat Protein Pancake Recipe
This easy recipe is a snap to make. Just throw all of the ingredients in the blender for a fast breakfast.
Preheat the griddle or skillet over medium heat.
Add the rolled oats to your blender. Blend on high speed for 30-45 seconds until they turn into a fine, flour-like consistency.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for about 30 seconds or until the batter is smooth and well-combined. If the batter is too thick, you can add a splash of any kind of milk to adjust the consistency.
Lightly grease the skillet or griddle with some oil or butter.
Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Fluffy Oat Protein Pancake Recipe
Amount Per Serving (3 pancakes)
Calories 411 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 202mg67%
Sodium 131mg6%
Potassium 963mg28%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 240IU5%
Vitamin C 0.02mg0%
Calcium 451mg45%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for 2–3 days or freeze flat between parchment paper for future breakfasts.
If you avoid oats or are lower carb, there is a way to adjust this to be oat free as well. The texture isn’t quite as good and it must be cooked on medium-low heat or it will stick. However, it does work and still has a lot of protein!
Protein Options: You can use any flavorless or vanilla whey protein. Plant-based protein may work, but it may alter texture and taste.
Oat Substitution: Use pre-ground oat flour to save time.
Collagen: Optional, but adds extra protein and health benefits.
Dairy-Free Option: Use coconut yogurt and a plant-based protein to make it dairy-free.
My kids absolutely devour these whenever I serve them! They’re also easy enough for the kids to make on their own. Some of our favorite toppings are maple syrup or raw honey, fresh berries, or vanilla Greek yogurt. They’re so light and fluffy, yet full of protein to keep everyone satisfied long after breakfast.
What are your favorite pancake toppings? Leave a comment and let us know!
You’re surrounded by chemicals you’ve never heard of — and some of the most harmful ones are completely invisible. Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins, or MCCPs, are one of them. These compounds are used in industrial products like lubricants, sealants, and flame retardants, but they don’t stay put. They escape into the environment and hang in the air, where you inhale them without even realizing it.
What makes MCCPs especially concerning is how long they last. They resist breakdown, accumulate in your fat tissues, and interfere with systems that regulate hormones, metabolism, and brain health. Despite their widespread use, they’ve remained largely overlooked in public health conversations and unregulated by federal authorities.
Now, research has revealed that MCCPs are not only persistent but also mobile. They don’t just sit in products or soil — they move with the weather, rise with the heat, and follow air currents across rural and urban areas alike. If you’re breathing, you’re likely exposed. That’s why this matters. To protect your health and lower your risk, you need to know where these toxins come from, how they behave in the environment, and what to do to limit your exposure.
Scientists Track Dangerous Airborne Chemicals for the First Time
A study published in ACS Environmental AU used cutting-edge technology to monitor MCCPs as they floated through the air over farmland in Oklahoma.1 These chemicals are used in industrial products like lubricants and plasticizers, but they don’t stay in one place. Unlike older testing methods that took weeks or months to collect data, this tool allowed researchers to track MCCPs minute by minute, revealing how they rise, fall, and shift depending on the time of day.
• Researchers found MCCPs in the air almost every day, at levels as high as polluted cities — The study ran for about a month and found MCCPs nearly every day, even in a rural area far from big factories. On average, levels hit 3,100 picograms per cubic meter, similar to what’s been found in major cities in China. That means even places that seem “clean” carry dangerous chemicals in the air without anyone realizing it.
• Air levels rose with daytime heat and dropped off again overnight — These chemicals became more airborne as temperatures rose during the day and settled back into the ground or dust when it cooled at night. So, if you’re outdoors in the middle of the day — working, exercising, or even just walking — your exposure is likely much higher than at night.
• The most common MCCPs were lighter-weight types more likely to turn into gas — The six main forms scientists found all had 14 or 15 carbon atoms and six or seven chlorine atoms. These versions are more likely to evaporate into the air, which means they’re the ones you’re most likely to breathe in. Knowing which versions are most common helps health experts focus on which ones pose the biggest risk.
• Nearby sources like farming and waste sites likely fed the pollution — MCCP levels went up on hot days with winds from the southwest, suggesting they were coming from local sources, including sludge-treated farm fields, wastewater, or industrial runoff. When the wind changed or temperatures dropped, the levels fell, pointing to short-range movement rather than distant pollution blowing in.
MCCPs are chemically similar to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” which build up in your body over time and resist breakdown. In fact, their similarity led Oklahoma lawmakers to recently ban biosolid fertilizer statewide.
Heat Drives How Much MCCP You Breathe in Each Day
The study showed a direct link between temperature and MCCP levels. As the air got hotter, the chemicals quickly evaporated off surfaces like soil and dust. This happened in as little as five minutes, meaning you could suddenly be exposed just by being outside on a hot afternoon.
• Pollution peaked midday and dropped fast in the evening — MCCP levels spiked in the late morning and fell again by sunset. This pattern wasn’t caused by slow-moving weather or breakdown of the chemical — it was driven by heat. So, even spending one hour outside during that peak time raises how much of the toxin gets into your lungs and bloodstream.
• Lighter MCCPs evaporated and disappeared faster than heavier ones — Shorter-chain versions of the chemical rose faster during the day and dropped quicker at night. But the heavier forms hung around in soil and dust longer. That means you breathe in the lighter ones more easily, but the heavier ones may stick to your clothes, enter your home, and get into your food over time.
• Not all MCCPs react to heat in the same way — Some forms jumped sharply when temperatures rose while others barely moved. That difference matters, because it shows some forms are more likely to become airborne while others stay in the environment longer.
• Heavier forms stay longer in soil and dust, which raises different risks — The chemicals with more carbon and chlorine atoms don’t float into the air as easily, but they also don’t go away quickly. These build up in places like your carpets, furniture, or garden soil, creating long-term risks, especially for children and pets who come into contact with surfaces more often.
• MCCPs shift between air and surfaces all day long — These chemicals don’t just rise and fall once — they constantly move back and forth based on heat, humidity, and air particles. You could be exposed during your lunch break outside and not again that night, even if you’re in the same spot. That makes it hard to track exposure and even harder to regulate these chemicals without monitoring them constantly.
Sunlight and Air Pollution Turn MCCPs Into New, More Toxic Forms
The study also picked up MCCPs that had reacted with oxygen in the air, forming new versions called “oxidized MCCPs.” These changes likely happened because of sunlight, ozone, or other molecules floating in the atmosphere. Some of these byproducts are called hydroperoxides, which are known to damage cells once they get inside your body.
• Other MCCPs bonded with nitrogen, hinting at even more complex risks — Scientists also detected MCCPs with nitrogen in their structure. These probably formed by reacting with nitrogen-based pollution, like car exhaust or fertilizer runoff. The health effects of these altered forms aren’t well studied, but their presence means MCCPs don’t stay the same after release — they change, and those changes could make them more reactive or dangerous.
• These altered forms followed the same daily cycle as the originals — Like regular MCCPs, the altered ones spiked during hot daylight hours and dropped off at night. So, whatever your exposure is during the day, you’re not just inhaling the original chemicals — you’re also breathing in the altered versions created by sunlight and air pollution.
How to Lower Your Exposure to Airborne MCCPs and Protect Your Health
If you haven’t heard of MCCPs before now, you’re not alone. These chemicals don’t show up on ingredient labels, but they’re likely in your environment, especially if you live near agriculture, oil drilling, or industrial zones. Once they’re in the air, they’re hard to avoid completely. But you do have control over how much of them gets into your body and how well your body handles the exposure.
Your best protection starts with understanding where MCCPs come from and how to block the main ways they enter your system — mostly through your lungs, skin, and food. If you’re already dealing with hormone issues, chronic fatigue, or inflammatory conditions, lowering your chemical burden is even more important. Here’s how to help reduce your exposure and protect your health:
1. Avoid biosolid-contaminated food and soil — MCCPs are chemically similar to PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” which build up in your body and resist breakdown. They’re commonly used in PVC plastics, flame retardants, and metalworking fluids — and often wind up in wastewater. That wastewater gets turned into biosolid fertilizer and sprayed on conventional farms.
Once in the soil, MCCPs rise into the air during hot weather or end up in your food. Choosing certified organic produce helps you avoid this exposure, since organic standards ban biosolids. If you garden, live near fields, or buy from local markets, ask how the soil was treated and try to stay upwind of sprayed areas during the day, when airborne levels spike.
2. Run a high-quality indoor air filter that targets gas-phase pollutants — Most air purifiers only filter out particles, not gases. But MCCPs enter the air in gas form during the day. You want a system with activated carbon or other gas-phase filtration, especially if your windows are open or you live downwind from farmland or factories.
3. Shower immediately after outdoor exposure to reduce skin absorption — MCCPs are lipophilic, meaning they love fat. That makes your skin, scalp, and oils a prime target. If you’re working outside, walking in farmland areas, or commuting during the heat of the day, shower as soon as you get home. Use warm — not hot — water and a natural cleanser. Skip anything with “fragrance,” which often contains the same class of hormone-disrupting chemicals.
4. Reduce indoor exposure from plastics, furniture, and flame-retardant materials — MCCPs don’t just come from farmland — they’re also in household items like vinyl flooring, cables, older mattresses, and synthetic upholstery treated with flame retardants.
These materials slowly release MCCPs into indoor air and dust. If you’re renovating or replacing furniture, skip items made with PVC and synthetic foam. Choose solid wood, organic cotton, or wool. And vacuum with a HEPA filter weekly to reduce MCCP-laced dust that settles on floors and surfaces.
5. Support your mitochondria to better handle chemical stress — Airborne toxins like MCCPs increase oxidative stress, which puts pressure on your mitochondria, the tiny engines inside your cells that produce energy and regulate detoxification. The stronger and more resilient your mitochondria are, the better your body neutralizes and processes these exposures.
You can support mitochondrial health by getting daily sun exposure (avoid peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. until you’ve eliminated vegetable oils from your diet for at least six months), moving your body regularly, and making sure you’re eating enough healthy carbs to fuel energy production.
Every small change adds up. Even if MCCPs are in the air around you, you can take real steps to protect your health, especially if you focus on supporting your body’s ability to handle the load and reduce exposure where it counts most.
FAQs About MCCPs
Q: What are MCCPs and why are they dangerous?
A: MCCPs are manmade industrial chemicals used in products like lubricants, plastics, and flame retardants. They’re toxic, long-lasting, and build up in your fat tissues over time. Once inside your body, they disrupt hormones, increase inflammation, and interfere with metabolism and brain health.
Q: How do MCCPs get into the air?
A: MCCPs are often found in biosolid fertilizer made from treated sewage. When this fertilizer is spread on farmland, the chemicals rise into the air, especially on hot days. They also escape from products like PVC flooring, treated fabrics, and industrial waste. In rural Oklahoma, scientists found them floating in the air nearly every day during a one-month study.
Q: What makes MCCPs similar to PFAS or “forever chemicals”?
A: Like PFAS, MCCPs resist breaking down in the environment and accumulate in your body. They’ve been linked to hormone disruption and chronic disease. Their persistence, along with concerns about PFAS, led Oklahoma lawmakers to ban biosolid fertilizer, a decision further supported by the recent detection of high levels of airborne MCCPs near farm fields, likely originating from these biosolids.
Q: When am I most exposed to MCCPs during the day?
A: Exposure spikes during the late morning and early afternoon, when heat pushes MCCPs from soil and surfaces into the air. They settle again at night as temperatures drop. If you spend time outside in the heat, especially near farmland or factories, you’re more likely to breathe them in.
Q: How do I lower my exposure?
A: Eat organic to avoid food grown with sludge, run an air purifier that removes gases, shower after being outdoors, avoid products made with flame retardants and PVC, and support your body’s detox systems with sun, movement, and nutrient-rich food. Even small changes help your body handle the toxic load more effectively.
What does your blood sugar spike after eating carbs like potatoes or rice reveal about your health?
How much fiber you’re getting
How hydrated you are
Whether you need to eat more carbohydrates
How well your metabolism is functioning
Your glucose response after eating carbs provides a direct window into your metabolic health, including insulin sensitivity and energy production. Learn more.
Businesses today rely on robust, secure, and agile network infrastructures to power their operations and maintain a competitive edge. For global food and beverage leader Nestlé, addressing the limitations of legacy systems was critical to achieving these goals. By overhauling its network infrastructure with Cisco SD-WAN, Nestlé unlocked improved resiliency, agility, operational efficiency, and centralized control across 1700 offices, factories, and warehouses in 185 countries.
A recent Cisco webinar featuring special guest speaker Giovanni di Marzio, Senior Solution Architect, WAN – Connectivity, ITP C&V for Nestlé, explored the challenges Nestlé faced, the Cisco SD-WAN solution it adopted, and the transformative outcomes that enabled the company to future-proof its network and enhance its overall operational performance.
Click here to watch the on-demand webinar featuring Nestlé.
Navigating legacy network roadblocks
Nestlé’s IT team is tasked with managing a vast and complex global network that spans branch offices, manufacturing facilities, data centers, and cloud environments. However, several key obstacles have hindered their ability to scale, optimize performance, and deliver a seamless digital experience, including:
High costs of MPLS links Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) links were integral to Nestlé’s legacy network infrastructure. However, they came with significant operational costs that made scalability difficult and modern network optimization nearly impossible.
Fragmented and inefficient tools The complexity of managing a fragmented network infrastructure with disparate tools created many inefficiencies. They not only reduced operational agility but also complicated troubleshooting and day-to-day network management.
Limited visibility into network performance A lack of visibility into multiple cloud and internet providers made it challenging to troubleshoot issues and ensure optimal performance for cloud applications.
Security and compliance challenges In certain regions, security and compliance requirements added another layer of complexity. Policy-based routing and centralized compliance controls were necessary to address these challenges effectively.
Faced with these hurdles, Nestlé recognized that a modern approach was essential to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and meet the needs of a digitally driven enterprise.
The solution: An innovative suite of networking technologies from Cisco
Nestlé adopted Cisco SD-WAN paired with Cisco ThousandEyes and Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers that together are designed to enhance connectivity, digital experience, security, and automation. This strategic move enabled the company to manage its global network with greater efficiency and resilience.
The technologies that transformed Nestlé’s network include:
Cisco SD-WAN Cisco SD-WAN provides a cost-effective and simplified solution that features a multi-region fabric (MRF) and a software-defined approach to managing WAN traffic. With this technology, Nestlé gained performance optimization, resilience, and efficiency across its WAN.
Cisco ThousandEyes Cisco ThousandEyes offers a holistic view of digital experiences across Nestlé’s entire service delivery chain. This provides Nestlé with real-time visibility into internet paths and the performance of cloud and data center connections, enabling faster troubleshooting and optimization.
Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers Packed with next-generation security capabilities, Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers feature AI-powered automation, post-quantum cryptography, and seamless cloud management. These routers have helped future-proof Nestlé’s WAN, ensuring it can adapt to evolving security and connectivity needs.
Transforming and unifying network operations
The adoption of Cisco SD-WAN with Cisco ThousandEyes has yielded remarkable results for Nestlé, driving significant improvements in both network performance and manageability.
Key outcomes for Nestlé include:
Centralized and simplified control With Cisco SD-WAN, Nestlé IT gained the ability to manage branch offices, data centers, and cloud environments through a single dashboard. This eliminates the need for multiple point tools and has reduced the complexity of network management.
Enhanced cost efficiencies By replacing expensive MPLS links with a centrally managed SD-WAN and network-as-a-service model, Nestlé significantly reduced leased line and operational costs. This shift to a more cost-effective infrastructure supports scalability and long-term savings.
End-to-end network visibility Cisco ThousandEyes empowers Nestlé with real-time views into internet paths and network performance. This allows the IT team to proactively address issues, optimize cloud app performance, and ensure a seamless digital experience.
High availability and performance improvements Automated failover and redundancy mechanisms have improved network reliability, ensuring 99.97% availability. Additionally, Nestlé now enjoys a lower incidence of latency, reduced disruptions, and overall enhanced performance across its global network.
A unified vision for the future
Nestlé’s transformation journey highlights how modern, transformative network technologies drive agility, efficiency, and resilience. By adopting Cisco SD-WAN, Cisco ThousandEyes, and secure routers, the company has not only addressed its immediate challenges but also positioned itself for future success in a connected world.
When describing the impact of the company’s network transformation, di Marzio said,
“Cisco SD-WAN provides internet connectivity without any limitations. And instead of looking at every log for two thousand routers, we have a single dashboard to manage the network and a centralized platform for orchestrating configurations across all Nestlé sites.”
This centralized approach has empowered Nestlé to streamline its operations, optimize costs, and deliver a seamless digital experience to its global workforce and customers.
A blueprint for modern enterprises
Nestlé’s network transformation serves as a blueprint for other enterprises grappling with the limitations of legacy systems. The company’s decision to embrace Cisco SD-WAN demonstrates how modern technologies can simplify network management, reduce costs, and enhance performance—all while ensuring security and compliance.
For organizations looking to future-proof their network infrastructure, Nestlé’s journey underscores the importance of embracing innovation and partnering with trusted technology providers like Cisco. By doing so, businesses can unlock the full potential of their network and thrive in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.
Ultimately, Nestlé’s story is about more than just technology—it’s about aligning IT strategy with business goals to achieve operational excellence. Nestlé’s success is a testament to the power of innovation and a forward-looking vision for operational excellence.
New federal statistics suggest a decline in rates of suicidal thoughts and behavior among teens.
Mary Long/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Mary Long/Getty Images
A new federal report finds that the percentage of adults with suicidal thoughts and attempts remained about the same between 2021 and 2024.
But the analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health did offer some good news: Over that same time period, depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in teens declined.
This is the first annual report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since the entire team of scientists in charge of the survey was fired this year by the Trump administration. The federal government has been doing this annual survey for decades. It currently interviews over 70,000 people 12 years and older in households across the United States.
The new report shows that the prevalence of serious suicidal thoughts in 12-to-17-year-olds fell from nearly 13% in 2021 to 10% in 2024. And the prevalence of suicide attempts by teens also fell slightly — from 3.6% to 2.7%.
Suicide is complex and influenced by a whole host of risk factors, including untreated mental illness, prolonged stress, isolation and access to lethal means such as firearms and medications. The new report doesn’t delve into the potential causes for the improvement in teens in recent years. But one reason might be that more teens are opening up to others about their suicidal thoughts, says Harkavy-Friedman. She pointed to a suicide prevention program run by her organization called Talk Saves Lives, which educates people about the warning signs of suicide.
“Not keeping it inside and just sharing with someone that you’re struggling can be helpful,” she says.
Besides, she adds, more teens have been seeking help and finding it.
“More and more kids are getting connected with treatment. And those treatments are specific for suicide and suicide prevention.”
The report also found that the share of teens with an episode of major depression in the past year fell during this time — from 21% to 15%. But only about 60% of teens with a recent episode of depression got treatment.
And 2.6 million teens still had thoughts of suicide in 2024, notes Hannah Wesolowski, chief of advocacy with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“That’s 1 in 10 kids, which is still far too high in this country,” she adds. “So we’re making progress, but we’re not making progress fast enough.”
The report also found that 700,000 adolescents did attempt suicide in the past year.
Wesolowski notes that access to mental health care remains challenging for Americans, partly due to high out-of-pocket costs, a shortage of mental health care providers and lack of culturally competent care for different racial and ethnic groups.
According to the new report, while there was a slight increase in the number of adults getting mental health treatment, nearly half of adults with mental illness had trouble accessing treatment.
Disappearing data
Wesolowski notes something missing in the new report compared with previous years.
“This report does not break out prevalence or treatment rates by race or ethnicity, which it has in the past,” she says.
“The 2023 report, like in previous years, provided breakdowns by race and ethnicity,” KFF researcher Heather Saunders wrote NPR in an email.
“Removing these data limits our ability to track behavioral health trends and any differences in access to care,”she noted.
The survey reports from past years, for example, have been key to identifying the recent increase in suicide rates among Black youth, explains Wesolowski.
“Are we making progress on that?” she says. “Without that prevalence data and really looking at the data by demographics, we’re going to maybe not spend our resources in the right way.”
Andrew Nixon, aspokesperson at the Department of Health and Human Services, told NPR in an email that the demographic data including race and ethnicity will be published in a forthcoming report.
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., notes Wesolowski. As the new report notes, suicide claimed more than 49,000 lives in 2023.
“We are putting a lot of money into suicide prevention and mental health services. But the need is so great that we know we need to do more,” says Wesolowski, “that this isn’t enough.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can dial or text 988 and be connected to help.
Call me weird, but oral health has always fascinated me. And it’s more than just brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing. Mouth taping is a newer trend in the natural oral care world, but it’s about so much more than that. This one simple habit can help your overall health improve, sometimes dramatically.
So how does putting a tiny strip of tape over your mouth before bed make that much of a difference? The idea may sound strange, even a little uncomfortable. But after digging into the science and trying it myself, I found something so simple can still have a huge ripple effect on sleep, energy, and even long-term health.
While mouth taping may seem like just another wellness trend, it actually addresses an issue many of us don’t even know we have. Mouth breathing is increasingly common and can cause a cascade of problems.
Why Mouth Breathing at Night Matters More Than You Think
How we breathe is foundational to our health. But for about 50% of the population, mouth breathing (especially during sleep) has become the norm. This seemingly harmless habit is linked to a surprising list of health concerns, both in kids and adults.
1. Dry Mouth, Cavities, and Bad Breath
When we breathe through our mouth this dries out saliva, which plays a key role in protecting teeth and gums. Saliva keeps the mouth pH balanced, remineralizes teeth, and helps prevent cavities. When saliva production drops at night due to mouth breathing, our risk of tooth decay, gum irritation, and bad breath jumps. You can read more about the importance of saliva here.
2. Facial Development, Jaw Alignment, and More
Especially in children, proper tongue posture is essential for healthy facial development. When the tongue doesn’t rest on the roof of the mouth (like during nasal breathing), it can lead to narrower palates, crooked teeth, and underdeveloped jaws. These changes can also impact hearing, speech development, and even vision. All of these systems are connected during the developing years.
3. Tonsil Inflammation
Your nose is nature’s air filter and warms, moisturizes, and cleans the air you breathe. When we bypass the nose and breathe through the mouth, the tonsils take on that role. Over time, this can irritate and inflame the tonsils, especially in kids. The result? Enlarged tonsils, tonsillitis, mouth breathing cycles, and even sleep-disordered breathing.
4. Obstructed Airways
When we’re mouth breathing and the tongue isn’t where it should be, we’re not breathing deeply and clearly. This oxygen deprivation leads to a whole host of problems, from daytime sleepiness to trouble concentrating and ADHD symptoms.
While there are obvious downsides to mouth breathing (especially at night), mouth taping can be an easy solution.
What Is Mouth Taping?
Mouth taping is a gentle practice that uses a small piece of skin-safe tape to keep the lips closed. This helps promote nasal breathing and encourages the lips to stay closed at night. It can also help nudge the tongue into the proper posture.
If you’re someone who wakes up with a dry mouth or snores often, this simple shift can make a world of difference. And even if you (or your partner!) don’t snore at night, you still may be mouth breathing without knowing it.
Benefits of Mouth Taping (Backed by Research)
Once I got past the initial awkwardness, mouth taping’s benefits became pretty noticeable. Here are a few reasons why this practice is gaining traction in holistic (and even mainstream) health circles:
1. Less Snoring and Dry Mouth
Mouth taping naturally reduces snoring for many people by stabilizing the airway through nasal breathing. With less vibration of soft tissues in the throat, the sound (and health risks) of snoring often improve. Snoring isn’t just annoying, it points to some deeper health issues. You’ll also wake up with a moist mouth instead of that dry, cotton-mouth feeling.
2. Better Dental Health
Saliva is our body’s natural defense against cavities and gum disease. Nasal breathing helps preserve saliva through the night, reduce the risk of decay, and helps keep the oral microbiome in balance.
3. Improved Sleep and Energy
One of the most noticeable benefits is better quality sleep. When we breathe through our nose we’re getting more oxygen and our body is more likely to stay in that deep, restorative sleep. This is when our brain cleans house, so it’s vital for helping guard against neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s. You might notice less waking up in the night, better focus during the day, and a general lift in mood and energy.
4. More Oxygen to the Brain (and Fewer Negative Brain Symptoms)
One fascinating connection is the link between mouth breathing and symptoms that mimic ADHD in children. Studies show low oxygen levels at night caused by sleep-disordered breathing can lead to poor concentration, hyperactivity, and behavioral issues during the day. Some children diagnosed with ADHD show significant improvement just from addressing their sleep and breathing patterns.
On the other end of the spectrum is disordered breathing’s link to brain disorders in adults. Those who mouth breathe at night or have disordered breathing are significantly more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep Apnea, ADHD, and the Bigger Picture
The effects of poor breathing habits at night go beyond just dry mouth or fatigue. It’s estimated that over 1 billion adults worldwide have obstructive sleep apnea. In this condition the airway collapses during sleep and disrupts our oxygen supply. Many of these cases go undiagnosed for years or still remain undiagnosed.
Sleep apnea has been linked to a long list of health problems, including:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Depression
And sleep apnea is just the extreme end of a spectrum. A lesser-known but very common issue is upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS). This is where the body works harder to breathe at night, often without full apneas, but still has poor oxygenation. One red flag for UARS? Teeth grinding.
When Mouth Taping Isn’t a Good Idea
Mouth taping can be powerful, but it’s not for everyone. There are a few situations where it should be avoided or approached with caution:
Young children: Kids who aren’t old enough to remove the tape themselves should not use mouth tape. Babies and very young children have delicate airways that can easily become clogged so it’s important to keep their nasal airways open to encourage nasal breathing habits.
Nasal congestion or anatomical blockages: If you can’t breathe easily through your nose while awake, you shouldn’t force it at night.
In these cases, it’s important to address the root causes of nasal blockage first. Some common culprits include:
Environmental allergens (why we have air filters in our home)
Food sensitivities (especially dairy and gluten)
A deviated septum or other anatomical issues
Narrow palate or misaligned jaw
A great place to start is with an airway-focused ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist) or a holistic dentist trained in functional breathing and jaw development. They can perform evaluations like 3D cone beam scans. They’ll assess the airway structure and help identify whether soft tissue or skeletal changes are needed. A myofunctional therapist is also a helpful route for mouth breathers to train the tongue to move correctly.
What to Do If You Can’t Breathe Through Your Nose
If mouth taping feels impossible because your nose is always blocked, you’re not alone. This is often a signal your daytime breathing habits need some attention too.
Here are some ways to help retrain your breath:
Tongue posture: The tongue should rest on the roof of the mouth, not the bottom. This posture helps widen the palate and support nasal breathing.Myofunctional therapists are helpful for this.
Deep breathing: Practices like yoga and breathwork teach you how to breathe more efficiently with the diaphragm.
Nasal rinses: Saline rinses or a neti pot can help reduce inflammation and clear mucus from the nasal passages. This is great for allergies or during illness.
Mouth and jaw training: Myofunctional therapy involves exercises that strengthen the muscles of the face, mouth, and airway to improve breathing and oral posture.
If physical changes are needed, like correcting a deviated septum or expanding a narrow jaw, there are options for both kids and adults. Treatment might include myofunctional orthodontics, expansion devices, or minor surgical corrections. While these interventions can take time, the long-term health benefits are well worth it. Here’s what my kids have done instead of braces.
How to Start Mouth Taping (and What to Use)
Mouth taping is one of those simple practices that most people can benefit from. Even if you don’t think you’re snoring, having apneas, or mouth breathing at night, you actually might. Something like an Oura ring can track your nighttime sleep and offer clues to how much rest (or not) you’re getting. If you’re really concerned, you can ask your doctor about a sleep study to monitor nighttime breathing.
An easy (and cheaper) way to get the benefits of nasal breathing at night though is to just start wearing mouth tape. There are lots of options now, but some of them have downsides. Some mouth tape can be difficult to remove, leave a sticky residue, or be uncomfortable to sleep in.
Wellnesse is my favorite brand for oral care products and they have a really great mouth tape. It’s made with bamboo silk so it’s comfortable and I like that it covers the entire lip area. If you’re subconsciously breathing around the tape at night, it’s not really helping. It’s also easy to remove for when it is time to take it off. They come in an eco-friendly container in individual tape strips, so there’s no fuss. You can learn more about Wellnesse mouth tape and try it here.
Final Thoughts on Mouth Taping’s Surprising Benefits
Mouth taping isn’t just about reducing snoring or waking up with fresh breath. It’s about reclaiming one of the body’s most important, overlooked functions, how we breathe. When we sleep, we spend about a third of our lives in a deeply restorative state. Making sure that time is optimized with proper oxygen flow, airway stability, and tongue posture can have far-reaching effects on everything from focus and mood to cardiovascular health.
So, if you’re waking up tired, grinding your teeth, or dealing with constant congestion, consider whether mouth breathing could be part of the picture. You might be surprised how much this small change can have major benefits.
Have you ever tried mouth taping before? Leave a comment and let us know!
One of my major questions in life is whether the bad things that happen are a result of a secretive group of bad actors or are simply a naturally emergent phenomenon that would occur regardless of which group was in power behind the scenes.
On one hand, I frequently see policies be enacted in a coordinated fashion that lead to a clear outcome, and then watch as the years play out, that every institution works in unison to ensure that outcome comes to pass, and as such, when I see the opening moves, I tend to assume the ultimate outcome will follow (which, for example, is why I knew there would be vaccine mandates at the start of 2021 and why Obama’s wars would lead to a permanent unsustainable flood of immigrants into Europe). On the other hand, when I speak to the most informed people within the government, I hear things like this:
“You can always point a finger at a specific agency or person, but the reality is that as the government gets bigger and bigger, more and more fiefdoms will emerge within it, and those groups will fight for their own interests at the expense of everyone else.”
Note: Many Federal agencies depend on obtaining congressional funding and, therefore, will engage in stunts to ensure that funding is allocated to them. For example, the CDC will routinely hype up inconsequential “pandemics” each year, as this nationwide drama allows them to obtain more funding.
“The CDC has enormous credibility among physicians, in no small part because the agency is generally thought to be free of industry bias.1 Financial dealings with bio-pharmaceutical companies threaten that reputation.” — Marcia Angell MD, former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine
In reality, CDC corruption is so pervasive that it’s effectively been legalized. For example, a 1983 law authorized the CDC to accept gifts “made unconditionally … for the benefit of the [Public Health] Service or for the carrying out of any of its function,”2 and in 1992 Congress established A National CDC Foundation, which was quickly incorporated to “mobilize philanthropic and private-sector resources.”3
Note: Other Federal agencies, including the CIA and the NIH, have similar “non-profit” foundations.4,5,6
Since its inception, the CDC Foundation has been accused of egregious conduct7 and has received nearly 1 billion dollars8 from corporate “donors” (criticisms include a scathing editorial in one of the world’s top medical journals9). For example, to quote a 2019 investigation:10
“In 2011, a firm that conducts research for the pesticide industry donated $60,000 to the CDC Foundation for a study to demonstrate the safety of two pesticides. ‘We have a professional money-laundering facility at the CDC Foundation …. They accept projects from anyone on the outside.’
Between 2010 and 2015, Coca-Cola contributed more than $1 million to the CDC Foundation. It also received significant benefits from the CDC, including collaborative meetings and advice from a top CDC staffer on how to lobby the World Health Organization to curtail its efforts to reduce consumption of added sugars.
The BMJ also reported on contributions from Roche to the CDC Foundation in support of the CDC’s Take 3 flu campaign, which encourages people to ‘take antiviral medicine if a doctor prescribes it.’ Roche manufactures Tamiflu, an antiviral medication for the flu [for reference, Roche was able to convince governments around the world to stockpile hundreds of millions of dollars of Tamiflu (an ineffective drug that was never proven to work11).”
These “donations” in turn often shape the “impartial” guidelines we are expected to follow.12 For example, in 2010 the CDC foundation created a coalition that received over $26 million from major pharmaceutical companies producing hepatitis C treatments. Shortly after, a committee was created to create new CDC hepatitis C treatment recommendations, and an Inspector General report found most of its members had direct ties to those pharmaceutical companies.
Note: Key funders of the CDC foundation (detailed here) include key Democratic political advocacy groups, vaccine organizations such as GAVI and the Gates Foundation, the major vaccine manufacturers (e.g., Pfizer, Moderna, Merck, and J&J), and tech companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and PayPal.13
In 2016 CDC employees anonymously complained about this corruption:14
“It appears that our mission is being influenced and shaped by outside parties and rogue interests … What concerns us most, is that it is becoming the norm and not the rare exception. Some senior management officials at CDC are clearly aware and even condone these behaviors.
Others see it and turn the other way. Some staff are intimidated and pressed to do things they know are not right. We have representatives across the agency that witness this unacceptable behavior. It occurs at all levels and in all of our respective units.
Recently, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) has been implicated in a ‘cover up’ of inaccurate screening data for the Wise Woman (WW) Program.
There was a coordinated effort by that Center to ‘bury’ the fact that screening numbers for the WW program were misrepresented in documents sent to Congress; screening numbers for 2014 and 2015 did not meet expectations despite a multimillion dollar investment; and definitions were changed and data ‘cooked’ to make the results look better than they were. Data were clearly manipulated in irregular ways.
An ‘internal review’ that involved staff across CDC occurred and its findings were essentially suppressed so media and/or Congressional staff would not become aware of the problems.
Finally, most of the scientists at CDC operate with the utmost integrity and ethics. However, this ‘climate of disregard’ puts many of us in difficult positions. We are often directed to do things we know are not right.
For example, Congress has made it very clear that domestic funding for NCCDPHP (and other CIOs) should be used for domestic work and that the bulk of NCCDPHP funding should be allocated to programs (not research). Why in FY17 is NCCDPHP diverting money away from program priorities that directly benefit the public to support an expensive [global health] research that may not yield anything that benefits the [American] public?”
In February 2019, two Democratic Congresswomen provided the evidence to request a formal investigation of CDC’s interactions with Coca-Cola and its broader corruption.15 Unfortunately, due to the politicization surrounding COVID, all of this was swept under the rug and forgotten.
Ideology or Corruption?
I also frequently wonder to what degree conduct I find reprehensible is due to corruption or simply ideological fixation.
In the case of vaccines, while clear financial conflicts of interest can be shown in certain cases (e.g., the CDC Foundation), I find the zealous adherence to all vaccines being “safe and effective” tends to be ideological in nature, as believing in vaccines has been instilled as a core belief of anyone affiliated with “science” or “medicine.”
Initially this can be quite subtle, but in time, that ideological bias quickly adds up. This is because most things aren’t clear cut, so depending on what one is biased to notice vs. filter out, one can rapidly be left with a worldview where all “the evidence” supports their position, even if a great deal of it does not (which is a major reason why people can have such diametrically opposed belief systems).
This is critical to understand as evaluating the actual risks and benefits of a routine vaccine requires you to assess:
What percent of the unvaccinated population is likely to get the infection?
What percent of those infected will have a moderate or severe illness?
How effectively the vaccine prevents those vaccinated from catching the illness or developing moderate or severe complications from it?
How long the vaccine’s effectiveness lasts?
How long does it take the infection to become resistant to the vaccine (making it useless)?
What are the consequences of the vaccine triggering a population-wide mutation in the infection?
Is there a viable alternative to vaccination?
How likely the vaccine is to cause an acute moderate or acute severe reaction?
How likely the vaccine is to cause a chronic moderate or chronic severe reaction?
Who is at risk of having a more severe reaction to the vaccine?
Each of these (let alone all of them) is quite a task to figure out, and as a result, most of the relevant points for each of the above simply are not taken into account when deciding upon a vaccine recommendation.
Instead, a few marketable points are highlighted and the assessment of the vaccine’s risks and benefits are seen through their lens (e.g., “cervical cancer is deadly” and “the HPV vaccine prevents cervical cancer”). In contrast, pieces of evidence that challenge the predetermined conclusion (e.g., proof of vaccine harm) are dismissed and filtered away.
As a result, many vaccines are on the market where their risks clearly and unambiguously outweigh their benefits, while in parallel, vaccines are viewed as a homogenous entity despite some (e.g., the HPV vaccines) being much more dangerous and unnecessary than many others.
Note: As many people requested it, I have provided a concise summary of the risks and benefits of each childhood vaccine here.
Vaccine Injuries
Because of this “ideological filtration” many everyday proponents of vaccination are completely unaware that vaccines frequently harm people (e.g., with severe neurological injuries). So, when confronted with evidence of harm, they use a variety of excuses to dismiss those injuries.
For example, 4 Democrat Senators who pushed the COVID vaccine had highly unusual neurological injuries all strongly linked to the COVID vaccine, yet none of them have recanted their support for it. Likewise, a Senate aide I spoke to shared that other Senators have had vaccine injuries, but none will publicly admit it, and at best instead have focused on getting treatment for “long COVID” (and emphasized that now it is critical for us to educate the Senate’s vaccine proponents on the reality of vaccine injuries).
As much of the opposition to acknowledging vaccine injuries appears to be psychological rather than financial in nature, Ron Johnson recently used his chairmanship to hold an excellent hearing (I would advise watching) where those who had been injured by vaccines and then abandoned could tell their stories and force the Senators who habitually dismiss the existence of vaccine injuries to be directly confronted with them.
Note: Formal hearings like this never happen, as the last one was 25 years ago (for children who developed autism following vaccination),16 and prior to that those used for the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act.17
This tactic is used throughout the medical field (e.g., experts on television, medical journals, guideline committees and patient advocacy groups are often pharmaceutical mouthpieces). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is the group that advises the CDC on the vaccine schedule, and as you might expect:
• Until RFK’s recent changes, almost every member on it had financial conflicts of interest.18
• ACIP almost always votes to add the vaccines presented before them to the immunization schedule.
• ACIP always ignores anyone who presents “anecdotal” evidence of vaccine injuries.
Note: In the one case I know of where ACIP voted against a vaccine recommendation (COVID boosters for adult workers), the CDC simply overruled them.19
As such, I noticed a pro-vaccine witness at Johnson’s hearing, who after sharing the tragic story of her infant sister dying from influenza said they testified in front of ACIP, “ACIP listened” and then made infants six months and older all be vaccinated for the flu — despite roughly 100 “flu related” deaths occurring annually in infants,20 and thousands of complications (including death) in the 6 to 10 month age range having been reported in VAERS (a system which captures less than 1% of injuries).21 I found this noteworthy as:
This also happened in 2013 with Merck’s expensive meningitis vaccine (less than 1 in a million children die from meningococcal disease each year, and Merck’s vaccine did not cover the primary strain causing deaths22,23), so Merck had two parents whose infants had severe complications from the disease to testify in front of ACIP, at which point “ACIP listened” and it was added to the immunization schedule and funded by the government.24
These anecdotes translate to implementing a (scientifically unjustifiable) policy, while any evidence of vaccine harm never accomplishing the same, illustrate how powerful the perceptual filters are in these people and why groups like the CDC and ACIP can routinely recommend vaccines that are hundreds if not thousands of times more likely to harm than benefit the recipients.
Hiding The Data
Evidence-based medicine was developed as a means to overcome medicine’s dogmatic resistance to abandoning ineffective medical practices. Unfortunately, before long, the industry realized that this could be overturned by monopolizing the “best evidence” (e.g., through medical journals and mass media), hiring experts to promote their evidence, and discrediting any conflicting evidence as non-credible.
Once this new dogma was established, an even more incredible feat was accomplished — forbidding anyone besides chosen experts from being able to see the raw data which produced that evidence, thereby forcing us to again “trust the medical experts.”
Following this, an even more remarkable sleight of hand was accomplished — instilling a standard where only approved experts could examine the raw data behind the science that underpins our lives. As that data is regularly doctored (e.g., we found out through lawsuits that the V-safe data the CDC used to prove the COVID vaccines were safe was presented in a misleading manner, which hid the innumerable injuries within that dataset).25
Likewise, while every healthcare authority throughout COVID assured us the vaccines were being rigorously monitored for safety, we never got their data, and eventually through years of work, Steve Kirsch (e.g., through whistleblowers) was able to obtain government datasets showing the vaccines were killing and seriously injuring many people.26
ACIP and the CDC
When seeking drug approval or vaccine recommendation, several key criteria must be met to ensure that “safe and effective” products reach the public. However, meeting those standards is again quite subjective (e.g., they are used to stonewall alternative medical products from ever being approved).
As such, if something supports the medical industry, it’s subjected to minimal scrutiny (e.g., Pfizer was not required to test the vaccine for effects on autoimmunity, fertility, or cancer despite these being major concerns from the start).
As such, in ACIP meetings, the CDC, without providing its data, often gives a brief statement asserting the safety and efficacy of a vaccine, which the ACIP accepts as definitive truth, regardless of conflicting evidence.
Recently, RFK’s new ACIP had its first meeting, where for the first time, the CDC received pushback for its unwarranted claims. Unfortunately, as the CDC had not adapted to this new reality, they continued to repeat their playbook, making remarkable claims such as:
• Infants were at high risk of becoming severely ill from COVID despite existing data showing very close to 0 infants are dying from COVID.27
• Most positive COVID tests at admission correlated with COVID causing their hospitalization (“86% of adult hospitalizations during that time period were likely attributable to COVID-19”).
• According to the CDC’s private analysis, all datasets show there is no statistical proof the COVID vaccine caused many of the injuries people attributed to it (e.g., death, seizures, strokes, bell’s palsy, or any issues in pregnancy such as miscarriages) and that the signals suggesting otherwise in databases we can access are “false positives.”
Note: I was most surprised by the CDC asserting their analysis “proved” the COVID vaccine was not associated with abnormal menstruation — despite numerous studies comprising hundreds of thousands of women finding roughly half experienced menstrual issues from COVID vaccination.28,29,30,31,32,33
• That while a risk of myocarditis does exist, the risk is very low, and that 83% of those afflicted fully recovered in 90 days.34 In contrast, a study the CDC failed to mention found that at 12 to 18 months, 35% reported persistent symptoms, primarily chest pain, palpitations, or fatigue, 13% remained on medication, 8% restricted exercise (mostly self-initiated), and 5.6% required hospitalization.35
Note: Ron Johnson’s previous hearing provided proof the CDC deliberately withheld data showing COVID vaccines caused myocarditis to protect the vaccine program.36
There were also remarkable admissions such as:
• The CDC still had no explanation for why COVID had evolved into variants that were resistant to the vaccine (a concern from the start, as the vaccine used a single rapidly mutating antigen).
• The CDC had no way to track long-term complications from the COVID vaccine, as over time, “more and more confounding variables are introduced” and the CDC would welcome any advice ACIP had on how those complications could be monitored.
Conclusion
During COVID, the ACIP meetings became a morbid hobby of watching a slow motion train wreck, as we knew nothing we did could derail them pushing the COVID vaccine along, but at the same time, we couldn’t turn our eyes away from it, as we did need to know what depressing vaccine policies were in the pipeline.
Now that their halo of objective expertise has at last been broken (e.g., now only 61% of Americans trust the CDC37), we are finally having a chance to seriously scrutinize their absurd claims, and the CDC is nearing the day when it can no longer operate as an unaccountable fiefdom. Each time we openly discuss their lies, their power weakens, and I am profoundly grateful to be with each of you at a time when this monolithic beast can finally be toppled.
Author’s Note: This is an abridged version of a longer article which goes into greater details on the points mentioned here. That article, along with additional links and references can be read here.
A Note from Dr. Mercola About the Author
A Midwestern Doctor (AMD) is a board-certified physician from the Midwest and a longtime reader of Mercola.com. I appreciate AMD’s exceptional insight on a wide range of topics and am grateful to share it. I also respect AMD’s desire to remain anonymous since AMD is still on the front lines treating patients. To find more of AMD’s work, be sure to check out The Forgotten Side of Medicine on Substack.
Which nutrient is most crucial for helping your liver move out fat before it causes damage?
Omega-3 from fish oil
Collagen from bone broth
Choline from pastured egg yolks
Choline helps your liver transport fat out of cells, preventing fatty buildup and reducing fibrosis risk; pastured egg yolks are the best natural source. Learn more.
This blog is part of our focus on Cisco employees who are “Striving for Sustainability” by finding opportunities to integrate sustainability in their day-to-day work.
At Cisco, packaging sustainability is a key aspect of our strategy to transition to a circular business model. We do this by designing packaging that protects our products while also minimizing environmental impact. This means using less materials when possible and choosing more sustainable materials — such as materials that contain recycled content and are recyclable or reusable.
I recently sat down with Nicole Kenney, Program Manager on the Packaging Engineering team, who focuses her work on packaging and material circularity. Nicole has been able to research and manage projects to support a range of sustainability issues related to packaging.
What inspired you to pursue a career in packaging sustainability, and how did you end up at Cisco?
Nicole Kenney, Program Manager on the Packaging Engineering team.
Nicole: Growing up, I was always in nature and constantly juggling multiple art projects. I knew I wanted to do something creative — that led me to the textile and apparel industry. After earning my degree in materials and polymer science, I developed fabrics and packaging for outdoor performance apparel and gear. The outdoor industry was one of the first to participate in the sustainability movement, and through my work on sustainability initiatives, I realized preserving nature was my purpose.
You might wonder about the transition from apparel products to technology hardware, but regardless of the industry, packaging challenges are universal: the main priority is to protect the product. In a circular economy, the next priority is to consider the packaging’s end-of-life. These are the challenges I’ve enjoyed tackling with our packaging engineering team at Cisco.
The thing I really love about packaging is that everyone can relate to it. Whether we’re making a purchase at a store or receiving a shipment at home, packaging is a part of our everyday lives. It serves as an important handshake between our brand and our customers, but to me, it also embodies the intersection of science, design, and psychology. When I came across the open Program Manager role and saw Cisco’s environmental strategy, I was drawn to the challenge.
How is Cisco integrating sustainability in its packaging?
Nicole: For our Packaging Engineering team, sustainability has evolved from a nice-to-have to an essential requirement for every new product introduction. This shift in our process is largely due to Cisco’s implementation of its Circular Design Principles, which guide us in integrating sustainability into all our outputs.
When it comes to material choices, our packaging engineers are focused on reducing foam use and finding alternatives to plastic (or eliminating plastic altogether). Packaging optimization is another area of focus; for instance, multi-packing can help save materials, which reduces cost and environmental impact.
Nicole and Packaging Engineering team visiting Flex Guadalajara.
However, packaging sustainability varies greatly from one product to the next. Our packaging engineers face a challenging task: there is no set recipe for a more circular pack; rather, it is a balancing of multiple unique factors. They must prioritize product protection, because reshipping to replace a damaged product undermines sustainability. They also consider product volume; if a product is high-volume, optimizing cube size for palletization efficiency is crucial. The more units that fit on a pallet, the fewer pallets needed for shipping, which streamlines logistics and supports our corporate net zero strategy.
Overall, we strive to integrate recycled content, reduce plastic usage, and enable packaging to participate in a circular system.
What role does technology play in advancing Cisco’s packaging sustainability efforts?
Nicole: When it comes to technology and packaging, materials innovation is essential to advancing packaging sustainability. Our Packaging Engineering team collaborates closely with our suppliers to rethink materials from beginning to end, with a particular focus on fiber-based solutions.
Example of a packaging test lab where samples are reviewed for quality and measured against specs for conformance.
Two examples of materials innovation include fiber flute and paper modular cushions. These are both fiber-based cushioning systems that we use instead of conventional foam. They are made from post-consumer recycled content and, like corrugated cushions, are widely accepted in current recycling infrastructure at the end of their life cycle.
These new materials help contribute to our foam reduction efforts. However, we’re not merely swapping them out; extensive collaboration occurs during the design and validation process. Prototypes are created, fit checks are conducted, and packaging tests are performed to ensure the new materials added to our packaging toolkit meet both production and sustainability requirements.
What are some challenges you might encounter and how do you overcome them?
Nicole: One challenge of reducing packaging impacts is understanding how best to measure them. When it comes to sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) tend to be the primary measure of environmental impact. However, analyzing the carbon footprint of Cisco’s products, packaging accounts for 3% or less of the manufacturing carbon footprint on average. Given this, Cisco’s Packaging Engineers keep the carbon footprint in mind, but design for recyclability to divert waste from landfill and support the circular economy.
Another challenge is finding protective materials that can meet our global supply chain demands and are regionally available. Exciting material innovations such as mushroom foam or bio-based plastics often spark interest, but continuity in sourcing and supply can be difficult. It’s also challenging to ensure that proper recovery infrastructure for those new materials is available in the markets where we sell our products. Those kinds of material innovations are often better suited for other product types, such as food or consumer packaged goods.
With Packaging Engineering colleagues standing next to liner paper rolls at a corrugating factory.
At Cisco, we design our packaging to be separable and recyclable. Most of our packaging is fiber-based corrugated board which meets those requirements. However, we cannot control which bin our customers will use for packaging waste disposal. Recycling infrastructure varies greatly from town to town, both in the US and globally. This fragmentation poses the next challenge: how to educate our customers on the best way to manage packaging waste. We want customers to make informed decisions about disposal after receiving our products. To address this, we have begun to release products with simple but informative messaging to help them understand what to do with their packaging waste.
What future trends do you see in packaging sustainability?
Nicole enjoys traveling in nature with her family.
Nicole: A successfully scaled circular economy requires collaboration between the business sector, consumers, and government. Among them, each entity has a vital role to play in driving sustainability. We’ve observed companies striving to offer more sustainable solutions. Consumers are increasingly seeking more sustainable options, evidenced by their purchasing choices. Now, we are seeing a surge of collaboration among the three entities.
As a corporation, we are aware that governments and the private sector are prioritizing circularity, and we recognize that this has an impact on our customers. This is an exciting time because we are engaging with our customers on packaging sustainability more than ever before. They are eager to understand our packaging roadmap, and we are equally interested in theirs. There’s a strong willingness to share, understand, and collaborate, making it an exhilarating time.
This trend gives me hope that as we work together, the circular economy is achievable across our business ecosystem.
State lawmakers are targeting food dyes and other additives in a slew of new bills.
Inna Reznik/iStockphoto/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Inna Reznik/iStockphoto/Getty Images
As policy counsel for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, it’s Jensen Jose‘s job to track food policy law. But this year it’s been very hard to keep up. Lawmakers of all political stripes offered up proposals targeting food additives across many states.
“There’s a lot of bills out there,” Jose says.
State policymakers are considering dozens of proposals this year aiming to limit the use of synthetic coloring and other chemical additives, like preservatives.
State bills vary, but Jose says most of the proposals focus on broadening the list of banned petroleum-based food colorings from Red No. 3, which the Food and Drug Administration already plans to phase out.
Many include Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, or Yellow 6. Some bills seek to regulate other chemicals, such as the preservative propylparaben, or potassium bromate, a chemical added to flour to strengthen dough.
Some bills have already become law. Arizona and Utah’s new laws will eliminate dyes and some additives from food served in schools. Texas will require, instead, warning labels for 44 listed food additives, specifying some ingredients are not recommended for human consumption by authorities in Australia, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Many other proposals have died in the legislative process. But Jose says the sudden overall enthusiasm for food additive regulation reflects consumer frustration with federal inaction and an abrupt political embrace of the issue by conservative lawmakers historically resistant to regulation.
“The rise of MAHA — Make America Healthy Again — really was probably one of the more influential themes,” he says of this year’s state legislative season.
That movement — championed by President Trump and his Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — has shifted the political landscape on this issue.
When it comes to food additives, Jose supports eliminating those linked with health issues. But he also worries that some of MAHA’s other policy stances go too far in touting unscientific or pseudoscientific claims repeated by social media influencers.
“When you see MAHA translate that to things like vaccines and drugs and COVID, then it starts becoming a problem,” he says.
Take, for example, some proposals seeking to regulate seed oils such as soybean or safflower — despite a lack of evidence showing they pose a danger to public health.
Some of the legislation limiting food dyes may not be necessary, nor do all those ingredients pose a health risk, says John Hewitt, a lobbyist for the Consumer Brands Association, a food industry trade association.
He notes that food dyes have been approved for consumption, and many food makers — notably Nestle, Kraft Heinz, Kellogg (maker of Froot Loops), and the ice cream industry — already announced plans to remove artificial dyes from products in response to consumer demand.
Hewitt says having varying state rules on food dyes will not work; national brands can’t manage different recipes or packages for different states. “Supply chain and logistics get to be very challenging when we have state specific requirements,” he explains.
That’s why many experts believe the FDA will eventually have to step back in and create new regulations so there’s a uniform national standard, going beyond its ban on Red No. 3 and its request that industry voluntarily phase out other synthetic food dyes.
A stricter national standard is what some consumers want, and pushing the FDA to act may have been the original intent of those state bills, says Steve Mandernach, head of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, representing state and local membership.
But even if new national bans on food dyes come to pass, Mandernach doesn’t foresee synthetic dyes fading from food soon.
Manufacturing processes, he says — as well as consumer expectations for things like pastel-green mint chip cream — don’t change overnight.
“The thought that all dyes will be out of food quickly is probably just not a reality … it’s going to take a long time to make that happen,” he says.
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a box of baking soda tucked away in your pantry. Maybe you use it for baking, cleaning, or deodorizing the fridge. I recently did a deep dive and discovered that baking soda actually has some pretty impressive health benefits. It may even be one of the most overlooked wellness tools out there.
I started experimenting with baking soda ( aka sodium bicarbonate) as part of my wellness routine. The results so far have been fascinating. Baking soda has a variety of benefits, from improving energy and endurance to supporting pH balance and even sleep. This unassuming ingredient may have far more to offer than we give it credit for.
This article explores what I’ve learned, what the science has to say, and how I’m using baking soda in my daily routine.
Why Baking Soda Matters for Your Body
Baking soda isn’t just for baking cookies (although they are delicious!). It’s a natural compound already found in our bodies and plays a key role in maintaining acid-base balance, or pH. Our blood pH is tightly regulated between 7.35 and 7.45, and our bodies work hard to keep it in that range. Sometimes even pulling minerals from bones or other tissues to maintain balance.
This is where baking soda comes in. It acts as a buffer to neutralize excess acids in the body. Modern life throws a lot at us that can push us toward being more acidic, including intense exercise, stress, processed foods, and even infections. Supporting the body’s natural buffering system can help restore balance. And as I’ve found, it can also improve how we feel and function on a daily basis.
Take a Deep Breath
What fascinated me most is how baking soda interacts with carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen delivery. We often hear about the importance of getting enough oxygen, but CO2 plays a critical role in making sure oxygen actually gets into our tissues. Through a process called the Bohr effect, higher CO2 levels help red blood cells release oxygen where it’s needed. These include places like your brain, muscles, and mitochondria (the cell’s energy factories).
Many of us are unintentionally under-breathing, breathing too shallowly, too quickly, or mostly through the mouth. This lack of air intake can then lower CO2 levels and impair oxygen delivery. Baking soda supports CO2 balance, which in turn may help improve energy, focus, and endurance.
Baking Soda for Energy and Endurance
One of the first things that caught my attention when researching baking soda was how it’s been used in the athletic world. It was once even banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as a performance-enhancing substance. Studies show baking soda can stave off fatigue and improve endurance. It’s no longer banned though since it’s a natural, common substance.
After intense exercise lactic acid builds up in the muscles, causing that familiar burning sensation and eventually fatigue. Baking soda buffers this acid to help delay muscle fatigue. A 2013 meta-analysis in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research confirmed these results. They found that supplementing with baking soda improves short-term, high-intensity exercise performance in elite athletes.
You don’t have to be an elite athlete though to experience positive effects from baking soda!
Mitochondria, Oxygen, and pH Balance
Beyond athletic benefits, baking soda’s effects go much deeper, even down to the cellular level. Our mitochondria thrive in a very narrow pH range and need proper oxygen delivery to make ATP (energy). By helping balance CO2 and pH, baking soda may help boost mitochondrial efficiency for more lasting energy.
When I first started experimenting, I noticed clearer thinking, steadier energy, and improved workout recovery. Personally I feel that’s worth paying attention to, especially since this is one of the cheapest wellness tools out there.
Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Support
You may not think of immune health when you think of baking soda, but it may deserve a spot next to your elderberry syrup.
A 2018 study in the Journal of Immunology found that sodium bicarbonate activates anti-inflammatory pathways through the spleen. It seems to shift the balance of immune cells, reducing pro-inflammatory macrophages and increasing anti-inflammatory T-cells.
The same study also showed some evidence that baking soda can reduce inflammatory cytokines in those prone to autoimmune disease. It may even support the vagus nerve, which is key for calming the nervous system. As someone who has dealt with autoimmune issues in the past, it’s something I’m trying to keep at bay.
While human research is still limited, I’ve found that when I take baking soda consistently, I feel calmer and less inflamed. This is just my own experience, but the science backing it up is promising.
Kidney and Digestive Support
Medical experts have used baking soda for years in specific situations. Doctors sometimes prescribe it to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease by reducing the body’s acid load. A study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology showed it slowed down kidney decline and reduced the need for dialysis in some patients.
It’s also a well-known quick fix for occasional heartburn or acid reflux because it neutralizes stomach acid. However, I don’t recommend using it very often for this. Long-term, we want to support healthy stomach acid, not unnecessarily reduce it.
Some people also use baking soda to alkalize urine and discourage bacterial growth in urinary tract infections (UTIs). I’ve had friends use this in a pinch while traveling, and it worked surprisingly well for them.
Better Sleep and Stress Support
Another baking soda benefit that surprised me was how it can help with sleep and relaxation. Research suggests it can increase nitric oxide production, which improves blood flow. Drinking a little bit in water throughout the day has been linked to better sleep quality and fewer bathroom trips at night.
I’ve used baking soda baths on occasion for years to help with detox, especially combined with Epsom salts. A 20 minute soak is really relaxing, supports detox, and reduces stress. Many of the studies done on baking soda’s benefits used it as part of a warm bath.
On nights after tough workouts, this bath routine feels amazing and seems to help me fall asleep faster.
Oral Health Benefits
One of it’s more popular and well known uses, baking soda is great for oral care. Baking soda is already a popular ingredient in natural toothpaste because it helps alkalize the mouth and whiten teeth. It can help reduce acidity in the mouth and support a healthy oral microbiome.
That said, it’s important to use it correctly. Too much can be abrasive or overly alkalizing. If you’re looking for a natural toothpaste that uses a balanced amount of baking soda, here’s what I use. More of the DIY type? Here’s my remineralizing toothpaste recipe.
How I Use Baking Soda
While I do focus on movement and working out, I’m not an elite athlete taking huge doses. Some athletes work up to tablespoons at a time, which can cause digestive distress if you’re not careful. What I’m doing is much more modest, about ½ teaspoon in water once or twice a day. Sometimes I’ll add an extra dose before a workout. So far, I’ve noticed better endurance, quicker recovery, and less muscle soreness.
Here’s more on how I’m using baking soda in my daily routine
Orally– I drink ½ teaspoon of baking soda in water on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before breakfast. Sometimes I’ll take another ½ teaspoon mid-afternoon or pre-workout, especially on high-intensity workout days.
Baths – A mix of Epsom salts and baking soda in a warm bath for 20 minutes. This feels really good on days where I’ve been more active or stressed!
Even though baking soda is natural and inexpensive, more is not always better. High doses can cause nausea, bloating, or diarrhea. People with certain health conditions, especially kidney or heart issues, should talk to their healthcare professional first.
If you want to try it, start small and see how your body responds. A tiny amount can have a surprisingly big effect. And yes, it tastes salty and not particularly pleasant in water. I sometimes add a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of sea salt to make it more palatable.
I also make sure to take this away from meals because baking soda can temporarily reduce stomach acid, and I want strong stomach acid for digestion.
Final Thoughts On Baking Soda’s Benefits
Baking soda might just be one of the most underrated wellness tools out there. By supporting pH balance, CO2 levels, and mitochondrial function, it can improve energy, endurance, and even sleep—all for just pennies a day.
As always, be sure to do your own research before starting any new supplement. It’s also a good idea to start small and listen to your body. This simple addition has been a game-changer for my energy, workout recovery, and even mental clarity. And the best part is it’s probably already in your pantry!
Have you ever used baking soda before? What are your favorite ways to use it? Leave a comment and let us know!
Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published February 13, 2022.
In this interview, repeat guest Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a board-certified family physician and author of the book, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Mystery of Heart Disease,” reviews the underlying mechanisms for heart disease, which for the last century has been the leading cause of death in the U.S.
Of all the books he’s written, this is my favorite, as it goes into great detail, giving you the biological understanding of the process of atherosclerosis leading to heart attacks and strokes. He also has solid strategies for lowering your cardiovascular disease risk.
Incidentally, once you understand the disease process, then you can also understand how both COVID-19 and the COVID jab can contribute to heart disease. When asked why he’s taken such an interest in heart disease, Kendrick replies:
“When I was training as a student in medicine, Scotland had the highest rate of heart disease in the world. Early on the answer for why was, ‘Oh, well, it’s because we have such terrible diet, and we eat rubbish food like deep fried Mars bars.’
So, you eat too much saturated fat, the saturated fat gets turned into cholesterol in your bloodstream, and then it’s absorbed into arteries and forms narrowings and thickenings, which all sounds plausible if you don’t think about it too hard.
But I also happen to go to France quite a lot, and what I noticed about France was, they eat a lot of saturated fat. They eat more, in fact, than anyone else in Europe, and certainly more than Scotland. So, [this saturated fat] hypothesis certainly didn’t work for the French. They have the highest saturated fat intake in Europe and lowest rate of heart disease, and this has been the case for decades.
If you took all the risk factors for France and Scotland [such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes], then the French had slightly [higher risk], according to conventional thinking. But, in fact, they had one-fifth [the rate among age-matched men].
So, I thought, this is interesting. It doesn’t make much sense according to what we’re told. Then while I was in medical school, a tutor in cardiology said … LDL cannot cross the endothelium. At the time, I didn’t know what LDL was, nor did I know what the endothelium was, but it sounded important.
She had been looking at heart disease as a different process for decades … So, I think that’s really where I got started. Once you start questioning what the problem is, you end up questioning more and more and you start thinking, gosh, this is just nonsense, isn’t it? This whole hypothesis is just nonsense. So, I started picking it apart.”
The Thrombogenic Hypothesis
“The Clot Thickens” is Kendrick’s effort to explain an alternative hypothesis for what actually causes heart disease. If it’s not saturated fat and cholesterol, what is it? In 1852, a Viennese researcher, Karl von Rokitansky, developed what he called the encrustation hypothesis of heart disease.
Today, this hypothesis has been renamed the thrombogenic hypothesis. “Thrombo” stands for thrombosis, i.e., blood clots, and “genesis” means the cause of, or the start of. So, the thrombogenic hypothesis is that blood clots are the basic pathology that causes all heart disease.
In a nutshell, when a blood clot forms on your artery wall, which can happen for a number of reasons, it will typically be covered over and dissolved. A problem arises, however, if the blood clot is not fully eliminated and another blood clot forms in the same “vulnerable” area. This then becomes what’s conventionally referred to as atherosclerotic plaque.
“The atherosclerotic plaque is basically a buildup of blood clot, repair, blood clot, repair, blood clot, repair,” Kendrick explains. “If the blood clotting process is faster than the repair process, you have a plaque that gradually grows and eventually thickens the artery wall until it narrows sufficiently that the final blood clot, on top of the existing plaque, is the thing that can cause a heart attack or stroke …
If you cut through the plaque and look at it, it almost looks like tree rings. You can see there’s been a clot, repair, clot, repair, clot, repair, clock, repair over the years.
It’s widely accepted that a blood clot forming on an existing plaque will cause the plaque to grow in size. You can find 10,000 papers saying that this is the case. What the mainstream won’t accept is that a blood clot on a healthy artery wall can initiate the whole process.
So, to an extent, all I’m saying to people is, well, we know blood clots cause the final event. We know blood clots cause plaques to grow. Why won’t you accept that blood clots are the thing that starts it in the first place? Because then we have one process all the way through, and it makes sense, because it fits with what you can see.”
As noted by Kendrick, the conventional view is that low-density lipoprotein or LDL gets into the artery wall where it initiates plaque formation. It then, inexplicably, stops initiating plaque, and the plaque continues to grow through the addition of repeated clots.
However, Kendrick says, once you start drilling down into the cholesterol, aka LDL hypothesis, the whole thing starts to fall apart. LDL simply cannot explain the disease progression. Yet despite the many holes in the theory, the idea that LDL causes heart disease is touted as an absolute, indisputable fact.
What’s the Mechanism?
In order to justify a hypothesis, you need to have a mechanism of action. Once you understand the mechanism of the actual disease process, then you can put the puzzle pieces together. Kendrick begins his explanation:
“Your blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells, a bit like tiles on a wall. Endothelial cells are also covered themselves in a thing called glycocalyx. If you try to pick up a fish, it’ll slip through your fingers; it’s very slippery. The reason it’s slippery is because it’s covered in glycocalyx and the glycocalyx is incredibly slippery. It’s nature’s Teflon.
So basically, in our case, the glycocalyx [is inside] our blood vessels, to allow the blood to travel through without it sticking, without damage occurring. So, you have this kind of damage-repellent layer on top of your endothelial cells.
Now, if that layer is damaged, and then the endothelial cell itself underneath is damaged, then the body will say, ‘Oh, we’ve got damage to a blood vessel, we must have a blood clot there because we could bleed out.’ So, a blood clot forms on the area of damage, and immediately stops [the bleeding].”
The blood clot doesn’t just keep on growing and growing. If it did, you’d die anytime you had a blood clot. Instead, when a clot forms, other processes step in to prevent it getting too big, which is why every blood clot doesn’t cause a stroke or heart attack. Once the clot has stabilized, and has been shaved down, the area is covered over by endothelial progenitor cells, made in the bone marrow, that float around in your blood stream.
When a progenitor cell finds an area that has been damaged, it attaches itself to that area, along with others, forming a new endothelial layer. The remaining blood clot is now lying “within” the artery wall itself. So, basically, it’s the repair process that can lead to plaque buildup within the artery wall. In time, if damage outstrips repair, this can narrow the artery and reduce blood flow.
What Damages Endothelial Cells?
The question is, what can damage the endothelium in the first place? Here, Kendrick uses the SARS-CoV-2 mechanism as an example:
“The COVID virus enters endothelial cells through the ACE2 receptor. It prefers endothelial cells because they’ve got ACE2 receptors on them. It gets into the endothelial cell and starts replicating, then bursts out, damaging the cell. Bingo, you’ve got an area of damage.
Of course, added to this, when cells have viruses within them, they send out distress signals to the immune system saying, ‘I’ve been infected, come and kill me,’ and so the immune system starts to have a go at the endothelial cells. This is why you can get a problem, because the endothelial cells are being damaged and stripped off.
Blood clotting occurs at the points of damage and hey, presto, you’re having clotting, you’re having strokes, you’re having heart attacks, which is the thing that people at first couldn’t understand [about COVID-19]. Yet it’s very clear that what’s happening is you’ve got damage to the endothelial cells.
Obviously, you and I both know that if you get a [COVID jab], the cells are triggered to produce the spike protein, and these cells are sending out distress messages saying, ‘I’m infected.’ You have to be very careful if you want to stick something into cells that then says to the immune system, ‘Please come and destroy me,’ because that’s what the immune system is going to do.
But moving on from that, what other thing can cause endothelial damage? The answer is things like smoking. Smoke particles get out of your lungs, they go into your blood vessels and they cause damage … You smoke one cigarette and a whole bunch of microparticles appear in your bloodstream, which means endothelial cells are dying.
Luckily as endothelial cells die, another message is sent to the bone marrow saying, we need more endothelial cells and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cell production. These endothelial progenitor cells rush around covering over the areas of damage.
Some smokers have enough repair going on and when you’re younger, it’s okay. As you get older and your repair systems begin to fail a bit, cigarette smoking becomes more and more of a problem.”
Other things that can cause endothelial damage include:
• High blood sugar levels and diabetes — The protective glycocalyx layer is made of proteins and sugars — High blood sugar damages the glycoprotein layer, thinning it down in a measurable way. High blood sugar can reduce the glycocalyx layer by as much as two-thirds. This, in turn, exposes the endothelial cells to the bloodstream and anything else damaging that might be there.
The damage to the glycocalyx is why diabetics are prone to both arterial and capillary (small vessel) disease. You can’t get atherosclerosis in the capillaries, as there’s no room. Instead, the capillaries become broken down and destroyed. This in turn can cause ulcers, due to poor circulation in the skin of your legs and feet.
Peripheral neuropathy occurs as the ends of nerve cells are deprived of oxygen. Also visual problems (diabetic retinal damage) and kidney damage. Blood pressure may also become elevated as your heart has to work harder to push blood through a network of damaged/missing small blood vessels.
• Heavy metals such as aluminum and lead.
• High blood pressure, as it puts stress on the endothelium — Atherosclerotic plaque (atherosclerosis) doesn’t occur unless the pressure is raised, adding biomechanical stress.
Repairing the Glycocalyx
As explained by Kendrick, the glycocalyx layer resembles a lawn, with slippery filaments that stick up. Within this glycocalyx layer you have nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces nitric oxide (NO), and you have NO itself, as well as a number of other anticoagulant proteins. The glycocalyx is actually a potent anticoagulant layer, so it stops blood clots forming. If glycocalyx is damaged, your risk of blood clotting increases.
“It’s a very complicated layer,” Kendrick says. “It’s like a jungle full of things that say, ‘Don’t stick to this, stay away from this.’” Within it, you also have albumin, protein complex produced by the liver. Albumin contains the proteins that help maintain and repair the glycocalyx. A fact that most doctors are unaware of is that, if you have a low albumin level, you’re significantly more likely to die of heart disease.
The good news is that while the glycocalyx layer can be rapidly destroyed, it can also be rapidly repaired. (Experiments have shown that in an area where the glycocalyx has been completely stripped off, it can be completely repaired in a single second.) Supplements like chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) can be helpful in this regard.
“If you try and explain that through the LDL mechanism, it just doesn’t work,” Kendrick says. “They have discovered that if you give chondroitin sulfate as a supplement — which normally is for arthritis and stuff like that — it reduces the risk of heart disease quite considerably. How do you explain that? Well, you can explain that because you’re protecting your glycocalyx.
These are the sort of things that make no sense if you like looking at the conventional ideas of heart disease, but are immediately and easily explained if you say, ‘We have to keep our glycocalyx healthy and we have to keep our endothelial cells underneath them healthy.’
Otherwise they will be damaged and stripped off, and then we will get a blood clot, and if we keep getting blood clots at that point, we will end up with a plaque and eventually one of the blood clots on that plaque will kill you from a heart attack or a stroke.”
Blood Flow Restriction Training
A lifestyle strategy that can help repair endothelial damage is blood flow restriction (BFR) training. In response to BFR, your body produces vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which acts as “fertilizer” for the endothelium. You can learn the ins and outs of BFR in my free BFR report. VEGF also induces the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator, and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cells.
“NO protects the endothelium. It is anticoagulant — the most potent anticoagulant we have in the body. It’s really the magic molecule for cardiovascular health,” Kendrick says.
“At one time NO was known as Endothelial Derived Relaxation Factor (EDRF) NO was something no one believed could possibly exist in the human body. NO is actually a free radical. Everyone says free radicals are terribly damaging and unhealthy.
To that I reply, ‘Well, you may wish to know that the chemical that is the single most important protective chemical in the body for the cardiovascular system is an incredibly free radical called nitric oxide.’”
Some anticancer drugs are designed to block VEGF, as the tumor needs angiogenesis — which is the creation of new blood vessels that are required to provide sufficient “nutrients” Without these new blood vessels, the tumor dies off. Unfortunately, if you block VEGF, you also block NO, which then raises your risk for heart disease.
“These drugs were almost removed from the market,” Kendrick says, “because despite their anticancer activity, they were procardiovascular disease to quite a scary degree.
[That’s why], if you are given bevacizumab or Avastin as an anticancer drug, they now give you angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), which are blood pressure lowering tablets, and ACE inhibitors have a specific impact on bradykinin, which increases NO synthesis.”
Strategies to Lower Your Thrombotic Risk
In his book, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Mystery of Heart Disease,” Kendrick reviews many different strategies that can lower your disease risk. Here’s a short-list of examples covered in far greater depth in the book, as well as some of my own recommendations that I bring up in the interview:
Avoid unnecessary use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen — While they effectively inhibit inflammation, they can cause platelet aggregation by blocking COX-2. In other words, they activate your blood clotting system, making blood clots more likely.
Get plenty of sensible sun exposure — Sun exposure triggers NO that helps dilate your blood vessels, lowering your blood pressure. NO also protects your endothelium, and increases mitochondrial melatonin to improve cellular energy production.
Avoid seed oils and processed foods — Seed oils are a primary source of the omega-6 fat called linoleic acid (LA), which I believe may be far more harmful than sugar. Excessive intake is associated with most all chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes.
LA gets embedded in your cell membranes, causing oxidative stress, and can remain there for up to seven years. Oxidative linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs) are what’s causing the primary damage, including endothelial damage.
Lower your insulin and blood sugar levels — Simple strategies to accomplish this include, avoiding ultraprocessed foods and artificial sweeteners, significantly restricting your LA intake and getting regular exercise.
Address chronic stress, which raises both blood sugar and blood pressure, promotes blood clotting and impairs your repair systems. Cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces endothelial cell production.
