Hi all,
I have moved to London and have started cycling into work.
As you can imagin there is a lot of traffic and so I inhale a lot of fumes and after 3 weeks of cycling am a bit run down and feeling the effects.
I was wondering if there are any supliments that can help me combat the pollution a bit. I know the best thing is to just move to contry but not a option at the moment.
Also I dont have much money at the moment so would be looking for a resonable solution. I have found Solgar very good in past for suppliments but they are expencive so I could only really afford one of these. I cant really do a whole course of loads of different vits and suppliments.
My diet is good and I eat a lot of fresh veg and fruit but is still not enough at the moment.
Vitamin D3 is essential for people who live/work in towns because the traffic/industrial pollution blocks UVB from reaching ground level and people living in towns always have lower vitamin D status than people who live in the country.
5000iu/daily is the minimum.
I use Country Life, Vitamin D3, 5,000 IU, 200 Softgels because these use mct OIL as the carrier and this is the most stable and most readily metabolised.
I also live in UK and so get mine sent from IHERB code WAB666 saves $5 initially and you'll then get a code which you can share for further discounts.
Vitamin D also helps upregulate the production of glutathione which is used to detoxify the brain so this improves you neuroprotection.
Vitamin D also improves muscle strength and lung function so will make your biking easier.
Breathing in pollutants can rapidly change DNA composition
Tiny bits of dust, metal and soot suspended in air can lodge deep in the lungs. Exposure to such particulate matter has been linked to respiratory diseases, lung cancer and heart problems.
While scientists may not understand exactly how inhaling the matter can cause health problems, a new study has shown that polluted air can also damage DNA. Moreover, according to researchers from the University of Milan, breathing in particulate matter can reprogram genes in as little as three days. And DNA damage can result in increased rates of cancer and other diseases.
In the study, led by Andrea Baccarelli, blood samples of 63 steel-foundry workers in Brescia, Italy, were taken on the first day of the work week, before they had been exposed to the foundry's air, then again a few days later. As they discovered, the DNA of the exposed workers had been damaged by a slowed rate of "methylation," a biological process in which genes are organized into different chemical groups.
With fewer groups, fewer genes were made into proteins, which, say the researchers, is critical to the body's regular maintenance system. "Comparisons between the two samples revealed significant changes in the methylation of four genes that may suppress tumors," says Baccarelli. Similar reduced-size gene groups have also been found in the blood DNA of lung cancer patients.
The University of Milan research team speculates that the same changes could occur in people who live in cities, although it would probably take weeks or even months for the effects to show up. And in fact, previous research conducted by Baccarelli has shown that elderly people living in Boston had DNA damage from breathing in particulate matter.
"Other investigators have shown that inhalation of particulate matter affects DNA through the methylation process," notes John Heffner, professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University and past president of the American Thoracic Society. "What these investigators have done is show that the genes affected are ones that are known to be related to the development of lung cancer."
Baccarelli emphasizes that the results need to be confirmed in air pollution studies before they can be extended to the general population. In the meantime, however, related work by his team raises the possibility that folic acid, which is naturally found in many foods, may be able to slow or even reverse methylation damage from particulate matter. "The vitamin may make methylation machineries more efficient," he says, and adds that "we found that subjects with higher intakes of methyl nutrients were protected from some of the cardiac effects of particulate matter."
Folic acid and TMG are good supplements to help with methylation.
You may also want to consider improving melatonin secretion.
Melatonin in breast cancer from this you can see how it counters some of the effects of particulate exposure, In many ways melatonin mirrors the actions of vitamin D. Human DNA is set up to produce vitamin D3 from dawn to dusk (given UVB exposure) and given bright light in the daytime and darkness at night, the other natural anti-inflamatory antioxidant Melatonin from dusk to dawn. It's not a good idea to prevent or limit the production of either, though biking to work in the nude may create a hazard for other road users.
There are many other ways in which melatonin inhibits cancer cell initiation and proliferation.
Bright light exposure through the day is also important for resetting circadian rhythm. You should be all right biking to work but in winter it may be important to get outside at midday or make sure your workplace is extra well lit. ( use of tinted or polychromic lens isn't a good idea) If you still have trouble going to or staying asleep then consider melatonin time release supplements. (again Iherb is a good source for stuff not available in UK.
Hi, Thanks for all the advice, I should have added that I'm a male if that makes any difference. Am going to get some vit d3 today and see how I go. Thanks Les
Hi, Thanks for all the advice, I should have added that I'm a male if that makes any difference. Am going to get some vit d3 today and see how I go. Thanks Les
I think you may find it difficult to get EFFECTIVE strength D3 in the UK and certainly not at a sensible price.
But I'd be pleased to hear how you get on,.
For more information on correcting vitamin D deficiency Dr Davis has more experience than most doctors in doing this effectively. Topping up your vitamin D tank
Why not tackle the problem by cutting the amount of fumes you're inhaling
Try using an anti-pollution mask, they have them specifically for cyclists. Compare products before purchasing to get the best as you'll want maximum filtration
Hi all,
I have moved to London and have started cycling into work.
As you can imagin there is a lot of traffic and so I inhale a lot of fumes and after 3 weeks of cycling am a bit run down and feeling the effects.
I was wondering if there are any supliments that can help me combat the pollution a bit. I know the best thing is to just move to contry but not a option at the moment.
Also I dont have much money at the moment so would be looking for a resonable solution. I have found Solgar very good in past for suppliments but they are expencive so I could only really afford one of these. I cant really do a whole course of loads of different vits and suppliments.
My diet is good and I eat a lot of fresh veg and fruit but is still not enough at the moment.
You're not suggesting that anyone in the UK is vitamin D replete are you?
And what percentage of the population do you think claim to get as much sleep as they think they need.
It's a very lucky person living in a city who actually gets a quite and DARK nights sleep.
Human DNA is set to produce the anti inflammatory antioxidant vitamin D from viturally every cell on the surface of your body from dawn to dusk but I bet most of your skin surface never ever sees the light of day.
Similarly our pineal glands are set to produce the anti inflammatory anti oxidant melatonin from dusk to dawn but most of use prevent the early secretion by having our eyes glued to a bright screen right up to bedtime and then we have light penetration for outside or there are digital displays actually in the bedroom.
Inflammation and oxidation are two of the main drivers of most chronic illnesses. Simply restoring natural status for these essential anti inflammatory anti oxidants is simply enabling our bodiy to act as our DNA specified.
No Ted, but what in the world does that have to do with LesD's initial statement?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LesD
I have moved to London and have started cycling into work.
As you can imagin there is a lot of traffic and so I inhale a lot of fumes and after 3 weeks of cycling am a bit run down and feeling the effects.
The logical thing to do would be to block as much of the inhalation of fumes as possible. How would that be accomplished? Through a sport mask, which are becoming very popular.
No Ted, but what in the world does that have to do with LesD's initial statement?
If you read my post carefully you would see the words that I was replying to and I did not quote LesD but instead I
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cookie
Supplements, supplements, supplements
and if it isn't practicable to get full body sun exposure or get sufficient melatonin secretion it safer and better to use supplements than suffer unnecessary inflammation & oxidation.
I'm not disagreeing with your excellent suggestion but there was in the use of the smiley a questioning of the need for supplements.
I think insurance is a good idea.
Mainstream medicine has brainwashed everyone to treat symptoms rather than finding/rectifying the cause.
Indeed it's true mainstream medicine ignores the fact that virtually every cell on the human skin surface has DNA is set to produce Vitamin D3 from dawn to dusk given exposure to uvb from sunlight and exposure to bright light through our eyes during the day, subdued light after dusk and total darkness at night enable human pineal glands to excrete melatonin from dusk to dawn.
Common sense tells us that in modern society cycling to work and back is not going to create sufficient D3 to equate with the original specifications our DNA evolved with. City air is polluted and less UVB reaches the ground, the hard surfaces reflect VitaminD degrading UVA, office windows permit UVA (vit D lowering) while blocking UVB. and only a small percentage of body surface is exposed on a city bike ride and the exertion of cycling causes sweating that brings D3 to the skin surface where if it isn't washed/towelled off it will be degraded by UVA exposure. Professional outdoor athletes are generally vitamin D deficient. Without using D3 supplements there is no way anyone working in a city can acquire sufficient D3 to meet daily needs and have their body working at the level our DNA evolved to function best with.
If you are young enough (under 35) it may be possible to improve melatonin secretion sufficiently if you pay attention to sleep hygiene and have subdued lighting in the evening and total darkness at night but I doubt many city dwellers do.
It is specifically to address the underlying cause of low anti inflammatory low anti oxidant status that makes people vulnerable to the challenge of city life that the suggestions were made.
Most people today complain of lack of sleep and poor quality sleep, they also have low 25(OH)D status.
Getting these basics corrected are essential if we are going to stop the increase in obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer and Alzheimer's. Supplements are the safest way of ensure you at least meet the basic requirements.
I honestly think inside air quality is more important than outside air quality. Are you sleeping 8 hours a day inside a house, are you working 8 hours inside a building. I'd imagine the average person spends a minimum 16 hours inside and most people spend probably 22 to 23 hours inside.
You can't control the air quality at your job per say, but there are things you can do in your house and in your bedroom to make sure that the air quality is improved, because I think you spend more time breathing the air while in your bed than anywhere else.
get rid of carpet, cleaning often, aircleaner (UV light/filters), plants that improve the air quality in your house as well.
This unfortunately is the world in which we live. I agree with adding supplements to our diets simply because the food that we eat is not the nutritional quality of 100 years ago, but I also feel that the best quality supplement should be sought after. Just as in anything else, everything is not created equally. I angers me that substances are "cut" into products just to make a higher profit margin. I was an Oncology Nurse for over 20 years and have seen my share of Western medicine. Use of Old Home Remedies and Oils I feel will get back to what the Creator intended for our health and wellness and can clean our cells of the "gunk" emitted from our toxic surroundings.
Coping with city living
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