The Top Five chemicals that can damage your brain

The list of chemicals that damage the brain has doubled in size over the past 7 years. These chemicals are found in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe. What makes this even scarier is that the most vulnerable to these chemicals are fetuses and children.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 chemicals that can cause serious damages to your brain. Fluoride is responsible for lowering IQ and causing dementia in children. A meta-analysis of 27 studies found that exposure to high amounts of fluoride in drinking water was associated with an average of a seven-point decline among children’s IQ scores.

Metals such lead and mercury wreak havoc on your brain. Lead interferes with an important neurotransmitter in the brain causing brain and nervous system damage. Because of this, children exposed to lead have decreased intelligence, behavioral difficulties, and experience learning problems. No level of lead exposure is considered safe. Mercury on the other hand is OK in small amounts, but too much of it can disrupt.

Brain development by blocking enzymes that regulate brain functions. It also stops cells from dividing, meaning there are fewer neurons and support cells produced in the brain. Mercury is found in most seafood, but you shouldn’t be too worried. Research shows consuming fish in most people doesn’t cause a health concern, though a high level of methyl mercury in the bloodstream unborn babies and young children can harm the developing nervous system, reducing their ability to think and learn.

Organophosphate pesticides cause structural abnormalities in the brain. They are responsible for some neurodevelopmental problems that persist up to age 7. These chemicals are often used in agriculture, on golf courses, and for mosquito control, while these pesticides are banned in many parts of the world, they are still using in many lower-income countries. Organophosphate pesticides have recently linked to Alzheimer's disease as well.

High levels of prenatal exposure to the chlorpyrifos pesticide cause issue with memory and intelligence. In adults, high levels overstimulate the nervous system, causing nausea, dizziness, and confusion. Tetrachloroethylene is widely used in dry-cleaning, and in some consumer products such as paint and spot removers. Early childhood exposure to the solvent through drinking water is associated with an increased risk of developing neurological and psychiatric problems.

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in hundreds of products from cosmetics, perfume, and shampoos to food containers and plastic wraps. Phthalates can travel across the placenta to the unborn child as well as a pass into breast milk. In one study, rats exposed to the phthalates in the womb and during lactation had fewer neurons and synapses than those that were not exposed.

These chemicals can also disrupt normal hormone signaling, and the developing brain is susceptible to these hormone disruptions. Prenatal phthalates exposure may negatively affect children’s behavior, their ability to regulate their own actions, and the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders. Because our brains, and especially the brains of our children, are so susceptible to these chemicals. It is imperative that we pay close attention to what we are using to create the goods we use on a daily basis