Our environment is unfortunately laden with obstacles for superheroes. Many of these environmental toxins end up in their bodies and can cause havoc if we do not address them properly.
There are many different types of toxins that can affect brain health. While we cannot wrap superheroes in cotton-wool and keep them in sterile rooms, we do the best we can to be aware of these toxins and address them as they occur.
Heavy Metals
Metals coursing through the bodies of budding superheroes are not a good thing. Heavy metal toxicity has been linked to ADHD and other neurological challenges.
At Hero Academy, we test for heavy metals by using a specialized spectrophotometer that checks both heavy metal toxicity as well as intracellular mineral content. Sound fancy? It is!!
Neurotoxins
There are many different foods that can contribute to impaired brain function. Some food types that have shown to affect our superheroes include:
- Artificial food colourant
- Food flavoring
- MSG
- Aspartame
Radiation
There are many different types of radiation that can be like kryptonite to superheroes. Some are more visible than others and they affect people in different ways. Radiation can include:
- Blue light from television / phone / tablet screens
- Wireless technology
Heroes for this mission
Sources
- Goines PE, Ashwood P. Cytokine dysregulation in autism spectrum disorders (ASD): possible role of the environment. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2013;36:67-81. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2012.07.006
- Lee MJ, Chou MC, Chou WJ, Huang CW, Kuo HC, Lee SY, Wang LJ. Heavy Metals’ Effect on Susceptibility to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Implication of Lead, Cadmium, and Antimony. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jun 10;15(6):1221. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061221. PMID: 29890770; PMCID: PMC6025252.
- Hattersley, J. G. The healing power of full-spectrum light. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. January 2004.
- Rowe, K. S., et al. Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study. J Pediatr. 125(Part 1):691-698, 1994.
- Tuthill, R. W. Hair lead levels related to children’s classroom attention-deficit behavior. Arch Environ Health. 51(3):214-220, 1996.
- Li, De-Kun & Chen, Hong & Ferber, Jeannette & Hirst, Andrew & Odouli, Roxana. (2020). Association Between Maternal Exposure to Magnetic Field Nonionizing Radiation During Pregnancy and Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort. JAMA Network Open. 3. e201417. 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.1417.
