Archive for December, 2010

Brushing the teeth twice a day and flossing are good ways to maintain dental health and avoid bad breath. They may not be enough, however. According to a recent article in the Oklahoma Daily, paying attention to just the teeth can mean missing a halitosis hotbed – the tongue.

Bad breath, whether it smells like coffee, milk, rotten food or a night spent with the mouth hanging open, is largely caused by drying of the tongue. Certain foods, sleeping, coughing, smoking and even just talking can decrease the amount of saliva in the mouth.

Without that moisture, and minus the proteins in saliva that naturally eliminate microorganisms, bacteria begin to grow on the tongue. Added to that are food particles, which can stick between taste buds, especially toward the back of the tongue. The result is bad breath laden with funky organic compounds like hydrogen sulfide, the result of bacterial digestion.

The news source recommends brushing the tongue with a toothbrush or using a tongue scraper to remove food particles and leftover oils from the mouth. To rid the breath of its smell, individuals may consider using specialty breath freshening products that neutralize sulfuric compounds and leave the mouth smelling clean.

Could it be making you sick?

There are many people out there who have paid from $1,000 to $6,000 for those great memory foam mattresses.
What is that memory foam made of and where did it come from?
Petroleum-based chemicals that were originally developed by NASA, but the agency found it too expensive. There are voices saying that NASA abandoned the material because of chemical volatility issues. This is just a short list of toxins found in an analyzed type of memory foam: TDI (Toluene Di-Isocyanate), Polyol (Poly Ether Gycol), Silicone Surfactant, Tertiary Amine, Stannous Octoate, Flame Retardant, Pigments/Dyes.

What the heck are those things you ask?
I guess we need an independent scientist to track down the reality of it all but … any chemist will tell you that even fully reacted polyurethane can produce dust inducing mechanical irritation to the eyes and lungs.

People spend around one third of their life sleeping. Is this repeated exposure for long periods of time harmful to your health?

We do know most of the hydrocarbons are powerful carcinogenic chemicals and attack, with severe damages, the immune and nervous systems. Most autoimmune disorders (like arthritis, lupus, allergies asthma, and others) have been connected with or thought to be boosted by increased exposure to petroleum.

Interestingly, in the US there are no exposure limits for carcinogenicity in the case of the polyurethans.

Before you trot out and spend a bundle on one of those ohh so soft greatest deals since the wheel? Might be a good idea to do a little more research on your own.