The first problem is poisoning, with young children mistaking the pods for candy, ingesting them, and becoming ill. In fact, poison control centers recorded more than 12,299 toxic exposures to the detergent last year alone. The pods contain a brightly-colored liquid encased in a film that dissolves in the washer, and their appeal has proven too much for some kids to resist.
The second major problem is the “Tide Pod Challenge,” the latest idiotic internet meme that sees teens intentionally eating the poisonous pods and recording their stupidity for posterity and posting it on YouTube.
Just what can happen to you when you eat a Tide pod? Diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain might happen immediately, while breathing problems can arise as the chemical attacks the nervous system. It can also slow your heart rate and affect blood pressure, shutting down vital organs. Even those who simply “bite” the pod can experience chemical burns to their mouth, throat, and skin along with eye irritation. Ten deaths have been reported so far, and one can only guess what it’s doing to the environment once your wash is finished and it is drained out with the water.
700 chemicals detected
So just what are these misguided youth putting into their bodies in the name of a few social media “likes”? Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, recently appeared on the Robert Scott Bell Show to explain how his state-of-the-art lab analyzed these toxic pods and uncovered more than 700 different chemicals inside of them. Using mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography in conjunction with MassHunter software, he was able to derive the chemical formulas used in the product based on their mass. A list of these chemical formulas was released to the public on Science.news to help people make more informed decisions.
More than 700 chemicals, many of which are very toxic to ingest, were found inside the pods. There’s a warning on the label, as you might expect, and exasperated doctors have been warning the public not to get on board with this ill-advised trend.
Yet even those who wouldn’t dream of popping these bizarre little packets into their mouths do willingly add them to their laundry every day without giving it a second thought. This means they’re saturating their clothes in them and then wearing them against their skin for prolonged periods, thereby giving the chemicals direct access to their body’s biggest organ: the skin.
As Adams points out, sweating makes it easier for your skin to absorb these chemicals, where they can then disrupt your metabolism and harm your liver. In other words, even if no one in your house is inclined to eat these toxic pods, you are still exposing yourself to their chemicals if you use them to wash your clothes.
Make informed decisions about everyday products
Knowing what’s in the products you use every day empowers you to make healthier decisions for you and your family. Adams has announced that The Consumer Wellness Center will be carrying out, under his guidance, similar analysis of foods, dietary supplements, and OTC medications and publishing the results in the future. Stay tuned.
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