According to a recent study, soil contamination may be as harmful to your heart as it is to the environment. German researchers claim that any connection between soil and heart disease is probably a result of heavy metals and pesticides that have been left on the surface.
Research shows soil pollutants could be affecting our hearts
The team notes that soil contaminants may be harming our hearts by inflaming them and messing with our circadian rhythms. By increasing oxidative stress, which produces more free radicals within the body and sets off a chain reaction that damages other cells, soil pollution may also be a contributing factor to heart disease. Additionally, it results in the body having fewer antioxidants, which aid in removing free radicals.
According to the researchers, when soil is blowing in the wind, the risk is so high that individuals need to wear masks when outside to prevent injuring their hearts. They point out that due to the interconnectedness of global supply chains, the problem is a problem everywhere but is more severe in lower- and middle-income countries.
Arsenic, which can be found in contaminated water, has also been linked to heart disease in other studies. Researchers have also discovered a Korean study linking high blood pressure and stroke to cadmium, which is present in food, soil, water, and air at minute levels.
Compared to polluted air, soil contamination poses a less evident risk to human health, but cardiovascular diseases like chronic heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, and irregular heartbeats account for more than 60% of pollution-related illnesses.
Breathing dust contains plastic particles and fertilizer crystals
When we breathe in dust from the desert, plastic particles, or fertilizer crystals, dirty soil can enter the body. Oral ingestion can also allow heavy metals, including cadmium, lead, plastics, and organic toxicants (such as those found in pesticides) to enter the body.
Compared to polluted air, soil contamination poses a less obvious threat to human health. But there is growing evidence that soil pollutants may harm cardiovascular health in a variety of ways, including inflammation and tampering with the body’s internal clock.
