Mihail Gabriel Gulin / Usana

Chemical is Not a Dirty Word Basically, everything is a chemical. A statement we hear often is If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it or use it. The length o...r complexity of a name has no relation to its safety, function or benefit. Nor does the fact that it is natural or synthetic. Simple to pronounce Polonium 210 deadly at dosages of less than 1 billionth of a gram. Yet, scary sounding chemical - 2-methyl-3-[(2E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-yl]naphthoquinone - is simply the chemical name of Vitamin K. Yes, we are exposed to a lot of various toxic and unhealthy compounds as a part of normal life, which is part of the reason it is important to exercise and get sufficient nutrients through diet and supplement to support the function of our lungs, liver and kidneys (our normal routes of detoxification). Toxicity is a relative term, though. Most healthy things are potentially toxic, and most toxic things are potentially harmless. It’s the dose, route of exposure, and length of time exposed and other factors that can make the difference between harmless and harmful. There are numerous chemicals that are necessary and beneficial, and there are chemicals that are unhealthy or dangerous. But, virtually EVERYTHING is a chemical, including vitamins and all essential nutrients.

Did you know? The average weight gain during the holidays is anywhere from 1-10 pounds! And weight gained during the holiday tends to stick around. Take this in...formative quiz from Ask the Scientists - Health and Science Education to see where you can improve your diet and get tips to help you avoid the holiday weight trap: https://askthescientists.com/weight-management-quiz/ See more