The Worst Cookware Lurking In Your Kitchen (Toxicologist Explains)

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Dr. Yvonne Burkart gives us a rundown of the worst offenders, and what to use instead:

Hot mess

The very worst offender is non-stick cookware, the kind with materials such as Teflon. These are the most toxic, due to PFAS chemicals.

Non-stick pans release toxic gases, leach chemicals into food, and release microplastic particles, which can accumulate in the body.

One that a lot of people don’t think about, in that category, is the humble air-fryer, which often as not has a non-stick cooking “basket”. These she describes as highly toxic, as they combine plastic, non-stick coatings, and high heat, which can release fumes and other potentially dangerous chemicals into the air and food.

You may be wondering: how bad is it? And the answer is, quite bad. PFAS chemicals are linked to infertility, hypertension in pregnancy, developmental issues in children, cancer, weakened immune systems, hormonal disruption, obesity, and intestinal inflammation.

Dr. Burkart’s top picks for doing better:

  1. Pure ceramic cookware: top choice for safety, particularly brands like Xtrema, which are tested for heavy metal leaching.
  2. Carbon steel & cast iron: durable and safe; can leach iron in acidic foods (for most people, this is a plus, but some may need to be aware of it)
  3. Stainless steel: lightweight and affordable but can leach nickel and chromium in acidic foods at high temperatures. Use only if nothing better is available.

And specifically as alternatives to air-fryers: glass convection ovens or stainless steel ovens are safer than conventional air fryers. The old “combination oven” can often be a good choice here.

For more on all of these, enjoy:

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  • Tribulus Terrestris For Testosterone?

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    (Clinical) Trials and Tribul-ations

    In the category of supplements that have enjoyed use as aphrodisiacs, Tribulus terrestris (also called caltrop, goat’s head, gokshura, or puncture vine) has a long history, having seen wide use in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and in Ayurveda.

    It’s been used for other purposes too, and has been considered a “general wellness” plant.

    So, what does the science say?

    Good news: very conclusive evidence!

    Bad news: the conclusion is not favorable…

    Scientists are known for their careful use of clinical language, and it’s very rare for a study/review to claim something as proven (scientists leave journalists to do that part), and in this case, when it comes to Tribulus’s usefulness as a testosterone-enhancing libido-boosting supplement…

    ❝analysis of empirical evidence from a comprehensive review of available literature proved this hypothesis wrong❞

    ~ Drs. Neychev & Mitev

    Strong words! You can read it in full here; they do make some concessions along the way (e.g. mentioning unclear or contradictory findings, suggesting that it may have some effect, but by an as-yet unknown mechanism if it does—although some potential effect on nitric oxide levels has been hypothesized, which is reasonable if so, as NO does feature in arousal-signalling), but the general conclusion is “no, this doesn’t have androgen-enhancing properties”:

    Pro-sexual and androgen enhancing effects of Tribulus terrestris L.: Fact or Fiction

    That’s a review though, what about taking a look at a representative RCT? Here we go:

    ❝Tribulus terrestris was not more effective than placebo on improving symptoms of erectile dysfunction or serum total testosterone❞

    ~ Dr. Santos et al.

    Read more: Tribulus terrestris versus placebo in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study

    As a performance-enhancer in sport

    We’ll be brief here: it doesn’t seem to work and it may not be safe:

    Insights into Supplements with Tribulus Terrestris used by Athletes

    From sport, into general wellness?

    Finally, a study that finds it may be useful for something!

    ❝Overall, participants supplemented with TT displayed significant improvements in lipid profile. Inflammatory and hematological biomarkers showed moderate beneficial effects with no significant changes on renal biomarkers. No positive effects were observed on the immune system response. Additionally, no TT-induced toxicity was reported.

    In conclusion, there was no clear evidence of the beneficial effects of TT supplementation on muscle damage markers and hormonal behavior.❞

    ~ Dr. Fernández-Lázaro et al.

    Read more: Effects of Tribulus terrestris L. on Sport and Health Biomarkers in Physically Active Adult Males: A Systematic Review

    About those lipids…

    Animal studies have shown that it may not only improve lipid profiles, but also may partially repair the endothelial dysfunction resulting from hyperlipidemia:

    Influence of Tribulus terrestris extract on lipid profile and endothelial structure in developing atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta of rabbits on a high-cholesterol diet

    Want to try some?

    In the unlikely event that today’s research review has inspired you with an urge to try Tribulus terrestris, here’s an example product on Amazon

    If on the other hand you’d like to actually increase testosterone levels, then we suggest:

    Topping Up Testosterone? ← a previous main feature did earlier this year

    Take care!

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  • Tilapia vs Cod – Which is Healthier?

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    Our Verdict

    When comparing tilapia to cod, we picked the tilapia.

    Why?

    Another case of “that which is more expensive is not necessarily the healthier”!

    In terms of macros, tilapia has more protein and fats, as well as more omega-3 (and omega-6). On the downside, tilapia does have relatively more saturated fat, but at 0.94g/100g, it’s not exactly butter.

    The vitamins category sees that tilapia has more of vitamins B1, B3, B5, B12, D, and K, while cod has more of vitamins B6, B9, and choline. A moderate win for tilapia.

    When it comes to minerals, things are most divided; tilapia has more copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and selenium, while cod has more magnesium and zinc. An easy win for tilapia.

    One other thing to note is that both of these fish contain mercury these days (and it’s worth noting: cod has nearly 10x more mercury). Mercury is, of course, not exactly a health food.

    So, excessive consumption of either is not recommended, but out of the two, tilapia is definitely the one to pick.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Farmed Fish vs Wild Caught: Know The Health Differences

    Take care!

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  • 100 Things Productive People Do – by Nigel Cumberland

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    This is a book of a hundred small chapters (the book is 396 pages, so 2–3 pages per chapter) which makes for a feeling of quick reading, and definitely gives an option of “light bites”, dipping into the book here and there.

    Cumberland offers a wide range of practical wisdom here, and while the book is (per the title) focused on productivity, it also includes all due weight to not burning out and/or breaking down. Because things productive people do does not, it turns out, include working themselves directly into an early grave.

    But—despite the author’s considerable and obvious starting point of social privilege—nor is this a tome of “offer your genius leadership and otherwise just coast while everyone does your work for you”, either. This is a “brass tacks” book and highly relatable whether your to-do list most prominently features “personally manage the merger of these Fortune 500 companies” or “sort out that junk in the spare room”

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  • Natural Remedies and Foods for Osteoarthritis

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

    Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!

    In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

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    ❝Natural solutions for osteoarthritis. Eg. Rosehip tea, dandelion root tea. Any others??? What foods should I absolutely leave alone?❞

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    Of these, probably the last one is the most critical, and also will have the speediest effects if implemented.

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