We show you how to protect yourself from city pollution
We don't want to scare you but according to a recent study, if you spend a year in London the pollution you’ll be exposed to has the same effect as smoking 251 cigarettes! In 2014, for the first time in human history, more than half of the world’s population were living in cities. By 2050, it’s estimated that another 2.5 billion of us will be city dwellers. There are many amazing benefits to living in a city, but fresh air isn’t one of them.
What is city air doing to us?
City living can have very real consequences for our health. The UK government has stated that poor air quality in our country is the largest environmental risk to our public health. Scientists now think that air pollution is responsible for a number of chronic problems and have shown that the microscopic particles can interfere with our DNA. The pollutants we inhale can impact our respiratory health, straining our lungs and our ability to intake oxygen. Interestingly, research is now also beginning to show that beyond these physical implications, poor air quality can also have an affect our happiness and optimism.
How can we protect ourselves from pollution?
If a country cottage by the sea isn’t an option right now, there’s still plenty you can do to avoid or reduce the effects of air pollution.
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Create a barrier: Creating a barrier between you and the air pollution is the best thing that you can do if you’re in highly polluted environments such as a busy street or an underground train station. This doesn’t have to mean mean wearing a mask, there are many other discrete options.
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Clean up your air at home: Use an air purifier to clean the air that you are breathing for many hours of the day at home and/or in the office.
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Vitamins and Supplements: Some vitamins reduce the damaging effects of pollution. Studies from Columbia University revealed that B vitamins are particularly effective in reducing levels of damage to DNA by up to 76%. Omega-3 oils, Vitamin D3, CoQ-10, and curcumin have also been shown to have protective properties.
Our favourite tools to help you protect yourself from pollution:
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An almost invisible nasal filter: Woodyknows nasal filters act like a pollution mask but are much more discrete. The filters have an activated carbon layer that absorbs and decomposes the toxins from air pollution. We use them when we’re out and about in the city.
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An air purifier we love: At home we use the Levoit Air Purifier which also has active carbon filters to ensure any pollution from outside gets cleaned inside the home: particularly great to have in the room where you’re sleeping.
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Some of our supplements: Of course, we also use our own supplements to help the body clean up the damage that gets done by air pollution. As with all our products, our B Complex, D3, CoQ10, and Omega-3 are chemical free, so all you get are the benefits without risk of further toxins. And don’t forget the potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that you get with our Curcumin & Turmeric Complex.
