← DR. GUNDRY PODCAST: GUT HEALTH, WEIGHT LOSS, AND NUTRITION
DR. GUNDRY PODCAST: GUT HEALTH, WEIGHT LOSS, AND NUTRITION
Is Your Home Making You Sick? A Simple Guide to Choosing the Right Air Filter | EP 396.A
00:25:02
Loading summary
Transcript16 lines
- [00:06]
A
What if the one place you felt safest was actually one of the most toxic? Not to alarm you, but According to the EPA, the air inside your home can be up to 100 times worse than outside. Filled with invisible particles, chemicals and mold spores we breathe every single day. Today we're talking about what that's doing to your body and and I'll be introducing my brand new homekind purifier that's going to change the way you breathe at home. I'll be right back after this message.
- [00:38]
B
Why have I asked my H Vac guy I found on angie.com to change my grandpa's trachea tube? I was so amazed at how he replaced our air ducts. I knew I could trust him to change Pop Pop's tube.
- [00:48]
C
I think we should call a Dr.
- [00:49]
D
Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust.
- [00:51]
E
Find pros for all your home projects@angie.com
- [00:54]
D
Foreign
- [00:58]
A
Dr. Gundry here. I want to give a big thanks to all of you who are listening to my podcast right now. To show my thanks, we're giving listeners the chance to win free Gundry MD Products formulas designed to support gut health, inflammation, energy and healthy aging. Here's all you need to do. Leave a positive review for this podcast on Apple Podcasts. Then take a screenshot of your review and email it to podcastrgundry.com that's it. You'll be entered for a chance to win a free prize that can help support your health from the inside out. So don't overthink it. Leave a review, send the screenshot and you could be our next winner.
- [01:45]
D
Are air purifiers worth the cost? Well, you know, we all know that air pollution is harmful. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds safe limits. 99% of all of us. But what about the air inside your home where you're supposed to be safe? And what about inside your child or grandchild's school? That's what I want to focus on today. Now, the problem with indoor air pollution. Well, you know, when we talk about air pollution, most people think about smokestacks, car exhaust or wildfires. Certainly here in California, we think about that a lot. But the truth is, your home could be a hotbed of invisible invaders. Now, the EPA warns that indoor pollutants can cause irritation in the eyes, nose and throat that can result in headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and even long term issues like respiratory disease, heart problems and cancer. So what in the heck are these pollutants? So let's discuss some of these forever chemicals in the air in your home. Where do they come from? Some of the obvious places that they come from that you're probably not aware of is from cooking number two, candles. We've had podcasts dedicated to the issues of candles in our home. Scented candles, air fresheners, air freshening devices. This actually produces endocrine disruptors, which are damaging not only to your lungs, but also damaging and disrupting to the hormones within your body. And we think nothing of them because of this pleasant scent. But these are really, really concerns. Volatile organic compounds from cleaning supplies, paints, and even the furniture that you're sitting on. Most furniture in the United States that has a fabric has been sprayed, treated, or soaked with fire retardant chemicals, and these are constantly being leached from your furniture into the air around you. And all of these, sadly, we now are what are called forever chemicals, and they are endocrine disruptors. So just the act of sitting in your home or having a carpet and in your home is exposing you to these pollutants that wouldn't have existed 50 years ago. And don't forget about pet dander, dust mites and mold spores, or even airborne bacteria and viruses. Now, dust mites don't get as much love or hate, I guess, as they should. Dust mites are a major cause of allergens in humans. Dust mites almost certainly in your mattresses, in your pillows, they're almost certainly in your furniture, and they become airborne. And they, as the name implies, are very potent allergens. And they're so microscopic that you really don't see them with a naked eye. But it's something that an air purifier could handle. Now, mold and mold spores obviously thrive in damp areas like bathrooms, like kitchens, and certainly in basements. And they certainly thrive in damper areas of our environment. Now, I've had multiple discussions with environmental experts about just how dangerous or not dangerous mold is. Let me put it this way. When we used to have a vigorous, healthy microbiome, bacteria and fungi, molds actually hate each other. They vie for the same food supply. Carbon atoms, most antibiotics, antibacterial compounds are made from funguses and molds. Penicillin, of course, is the classic example, bread mold. So bacteria have great ways of handling mold. On the other hand, if you don't have a healthy microbiome to handle these mold, then that's when it can become a problem. And I've been impressed with mycotoxin testing in my patients that a great number of my Patients are sensitive and are exposed to mold in their home. So it's something that we do have to take under consideration because we don't have a good defense mechanism against mold spores like we used to. Here's the other problem. We don't like pests. We don't like cockroaches, we don't like ants. We don't like spiders in our homes. And many people spray insecticides both in their home and outside their home. Many people have home pest control people that spray routinely to control these pests without understanding that these pesticides linger and these pesticides become airborne. And these pesticides are also incredibly damaging to our nervous system. You probably recently heard about the recent study showing the incidence of Parkinson's disease is incredibly high in people who live within a mile and a half of a golf course. Now, think about your neighborhood for a moment. The odds are you live remarkably close to a golf course, even if you don't live on a golf course. One of my offices, as many of you know, is in Palm Springs, California, which, the greater Palm springs area, has 120 golf courses. It's mecca for golfers. But living on a golf course takes its toll. Sadly, I see so many patients who live on a golf course who have developed either Parkinson's, other movement disorders, or Alzheimer's. And when we look at their environmental toxins, these pesticides, insecticides, herbicides show up in high concentrations in their bloodstream. So if you live near these places, it's all the more important to make your home your sanctuary from exposure to these airborne pollutants. So how do you do that? Well, an air purifier is the way to go. But not all air purifiers are the same. Now, the best ones contain what are called HEPA filters. High efficiency particulate air filtration. That's what HEPA stands for. Now, think of a HEPA filter like a super fine, a sieve. Now, it's designed to capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. Things like dust, things like pollen, mold spores, and many bacteria. Now, within HEPA filters, there are different grades. The most common in consumer products are HEPA 13 and HEPA 14. So HEPA 13 captures about 99.95% of particles down to 0.3 microns. It's extremely efficient while still allowing good airflow. And that makes it a strong choice for everyday use. The HEPA 14 gets about 99.995% of particles down to 0.3 microns. It's got an even tighter weave designed to trap the tiniest, most harmful pollutants like ultrafine particles like smoke and viruses. But it can create more resistance to airflow. So there's a balance. In simple terms, a HEPA 13 is excellent. A HEPA 14 is ultra high precision. Now both are considered medical grade and are far superior to the standard air filters you find in the big box stores. And if you add an activated carbon filter, you can also capture these VOCs and odors. And that's where we start to see a big difference in indoor air quality.
- [10:28]
F
I'm Jen Scheiman, registered dietitian, nutritionist and director of Science Communications at Timeline and I want to share a simple way to think about healthy aging that most people overlook. A lot of us focus on diet, supplements or exercise. But one of the biggest drivers of how we age starts in our cells. As we get older, they naturally make less energy. And when that happens, it can show up as feeling more tired, less resilient or like it takes more effort to do the things you enjoy. That's why Timeline created Mitopure gummies. Mitopure is the only clinically proven form of urolithin A, a molecule that helps renew your mitochondria, those energy producing powerhouses in your cells. Supporting mitochondrial health is one of the key ways to support healthy aging at the biological level. Mitochure gummies make this easy. Just two gummies a day deliver a research backed dose of urolithin A in a sugar free vegan format that's simple to stay consistent with. And now timeline is offering 20% off mitopure gummies. You can learn more and get the offer@timeline.com gundry that's timeline.com gundry.
- [11:37]
A
What if the body could get the benefits of movement by simply standing on a unique device? The Juvent Micro Impact platform does exactly that. I use mine for about 10 to 20 minutes a day while reading or checking emails. It delivers gentle micro impacts, tiny mechanical signals inspired by NASA research that travel through your body, encouraging healthy skeletal function and natural stem cell activity. Unlike those high powered vibration plates, Juvent is gentle on your joints and soft tissues. It's a simple low effort investment to help maintain mobility, balance and independence at any age. Check it out@juvent.com gundry and use code gundry for $300 off. That's juvent.com gundry.
- [12:30]
D
Okay, so how about the evidence? Do they actually make a difference? Do they work well? A meta analysis found kids with asthma had 24% less airway resistance when Purifiers ran overnight. Now, it's not about your lungs either. A Johns Hopkins study found that people with copd. Now, COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. You see that advertised on TV every night about this, various inhalers or miracle products that allow people to have normal lives. These are people with COPD. People with COPD who used a HEPA plus carbon filter saw a 25% increase in heart rate variability. Now, heart rate variability is something I measure on all of my measuring devices, like an OURA ring, like a whoop band. And in general, a higher heart rate variability corresponds to a better long term health outcome. So you want higher heart rate variability. It also is a good way of predicting how hard your heart's working. And what we see in my patients with COPD is their heart, particularly their right ventricle. The ventricle that pumps blood to the lungs actually has a very hard time pumping blood through the lungs in people with copd. So what this study shows is people who are using a HEPA filter plus carbon filter increase their heart rate variability by 25%, which quite frankly is a huge amount just by getting this filter in their home. So are they worth it? Well, unfortunately, given the impact of our homes are now definitely more polluted than the outside in many cases. And if you're living on or near a golf course, the evidence is unfortunately overwhelming that you're being bombarded with things like insecticides, like pesticides, like herbicides that use do not want in your body. A high quality air purifier is absolutely worth it. It's like choosing healthy food or prioritizing good sleep. It's just another layer of support for overall health. I'll give you an example. Part of my training in pediatric heart surgery, I spent a year in London, England in the mid-1980s. That was when coal was was used for all electricity and all the cars, all the taxis are running on diesel. And I can tell you it was a common occurrence for us to blow our noses multiple times a day and literally soot came out of them. And so it's not that bad. But the problem was we could see that soot, we knew how bad it was. Now, most of the things that we're encountering, except for wildfire, smoke, we can't see. And even after wildfires are gone, we now know that many of us, particularly where there's been a fire, live in a toxic environment with these compounds leaching now out of the ground and it's invisible. But that's why you need one of these devices. So what do you look for? Again, look for a true HEPA filter, not HEPA like ideally a HEPA 13 or a 14. For medical grade protection of the smallest particles, choose filters with micro band technology. Now this helps prevent bacteria and mold growth right on the filter, keeping it cleaner and safer for longer. Now make sure it has an activated carbon filter for VOCs and other gases. Now check this CDR rating. That means clean air delivery rate and match it to the size of your room. The other thing, your filter shouldn't drive you crazy with the noise. Check for quiet operation so that you can run it all day. Now stick with the reputable brands that share testing data and certifications. Now, a purifier is certainly better than no purifier. If an air filter is cost prohibitive, check with your state or local government for programs. Believe it or not, some states will often provide a free air purifier for you. So is one filter good enough? Well, as I always say, and when I've had my experts on the program, if you can only afford one good quality air filter, put it in the room where you're going to spend the most time. That means in general, it's your bedroom. Now, if you've got great outdoor air quality, do what my wife's mother did made her do. Open the window at night. Again, we have worse air pollution in our homes than we do outside. So my wife, to this day, now in our mid-70s, still has to open the window at night because her mother made her. And it's not a bad idea unless you live near a golf course. If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, family room, great room, that's another place to keep an air filter. If you've got kids, don't depend that they get to sleep in your bedroom and you get the air purifier, get the kids an air purifier too. Prioritize again, nobody can afford too many of these. If you can, great, put them in all these rooms. But bedroom first, great room, family room, kitchen second, where you spend the most time. Also something to think about is how much coverage are you going to get. If you have an open design like a kitchen, dining room, living room, a bedroom air filter is not going to do the job and it's not going to cover the entire room. Just like a window air conditioner may not work for an entire room. Same way with a filter. So make sure you pair your filter choice with the room you're trying to keep clean. The other thing that's important is most of us, when we think about air purifiers, think about nuisance symptoms, then that's why we're getting an air purifier. You know, like obvious itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, headaches, fatigue. Now, these are common, and that should be a warning sign that something needs to be fixed in your house. But the real threat comes from invisible toxins and these various organic compounds that we can't see and we may not feel. You know, I've often talked about leaky gut, but a subject that needs more discussion is leaky lung. Just like we know that there are compounds that can damage the wall of our gut, which is only one cell thick, I can tell you as a heart and lung surgeon that the lung is also the lining of all these alveoli is also one cell thick. And so what happens at the surface of our breathing apparatus is exactly the same thing that's happening in the wall of our gut. And so we know that these pollutants can damage the wall of our lungs and cause leaky lung. Now, will you feel that? Unfortunately, you may not. And this builds up over time. We're seeing now a huge epidemic of cancers of the lung that didn't exist 50 years ago. And these are in people who do not smoke, who have not been exposed to smoke, women in particular, and it's called alveolar cell carcinoma. This did not exist. Where is it coming from? We have to suspect it's from these environmental pollutants that we were never exposed to 50 years ago. That's why even if we can't smell it, even if we can't sense it, we've got to be aware that something has radically changed in our environment. So an air purifier is a great way of making a healthy home, just like you're cooking healthy food, just like you're making healthy choices for your family. When outdoor air is good, keep your windows open. Please choose non toxic cleaners and try to reduce indoor air pollution, like using gas stoves. Now, just like you make conscious choices for everything else, breath matters too, in ways that unfortunately, most of us probably don't feel. Every step you take towards cleaner air is a step towards a longer, healthier life.
- [21:49]
A
Now it's time for the question of the week. A question fromyrebecca1 over on Instagram about my reel about going gluten free. She asked, hey, doctor, how do you feel about red lentil pasta that is naturally gluten free? Is it any good? Well, lentils are certainly gluten free but they're not lectin free. And just remember, gluten happens to be a lectin and lentils contain lectins. My choice is either sorghum pasta or millet pasta, and it just so happens that I make my own sorghum pasta at Gundry md. I think you'll find it has the texture and mouthfeel that regular pasta does without the mischievous lectins from wheat or lentils. Great question. Now it's time for the review of the week from ichellemcrosky8629 on my YouTube episode about which breads to avoid, they said Once again you've answered the question why I'm suddenly gaining weight again and why my cholesterol numbers are going up. I listened to the podcast and realized, yep, too much almond flour and too much many potatoes. I need to get back on track with your plan. Thank you. You know, thanks for that review Michelle. I see this sadly almost every day or week with my patients who are doing all the right things. Eating from the yes Food list without realizing that even though something doesn't have lectins, it may have a lot of carbohydrates that are going to tip your triglycerides up, make you gain weight and change your cholesterol numbers for the worse. So glad you noticed and glad I could help. Did you know the air inside your home could be up to 100 times more toxic than the air outside? Chemicals from your furniture and cleaning products, invisible harmful particles from your stove and candles. Mold spores floating through every room. These toxic invaders are silently linked to brain fog, fatigue, heart disease and more. That's why I created Total Aire from my new home wellness brand, homekind. Total Air uses a true surgical grade HEPA filter, the same standard I trusted in the operating room, plus an activated carbon layer for chemicals and microband technology to stop mold and bacteria from spreading. Three layers of medical grade protection. One device Clean Air for you, your loved ones, even your pets. Go to homekind.com right now and use code cleanair for 10% off on total air 180 HEPA 13 or 14 I built this to protect my family. Now it can protect yours too.
- [24:55]
B
I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dr. Gundry podcast. If you did, please share this with family and friends. You never know how one of these health tips can completely transform someone's life when you take the time to share it with them. There's also the Dr. Gundry Podcast YouTube channel where we have tens of thousands of free health insights that can help you and your loved ones live a long, vital life. Let's do this together.
- [25:18]
E
Truckers aren't just moving goods, they're making sure bakers get their chocolate chips and hotels get their tiny soaps. But truckers can't do this if they're not on the road. That's why Progressive has over 360 heavy truck employees to help truckers stay on time and on track. Quote Truck Insurance today in as little as eight minutes at progressive commercial.com progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates the Global
- [25:42]
C
Gaming League is presented by Atlas Earth, the fun cashback app. Hey, it's Howie Mandel and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my How We Do It Gaming team take on Gilly The King and Wallow. Two six seven million dollars gaming in an epic Global Gaming League video game showdown plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist Travy McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match right now@globalgamingleague.com that's globalgamingleague.com in partnership with Level Up Expo.
- [26:12]
E
We have the tech to get food delivered in 15 minutes, but we all have horror stories about buying tickets. The GameTime app gives fans the advantage. Get amazing tickets in just a few taps. Fees are included, so what you see is what you pay. And the gametime guarantee means authentic tickets at the best price every time. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets to concerts, sports, comedy and more with GameTime. Download the GameTime app and create an account for $20 off your first purchase terms. Apparently.