DR. MICHAEL MOSLEY: Why you absolutely must use a range hood when cooking with gas

While I enjoy chess as a pastime, at a high level it is an intellectually demanding game that requires great concentration and I am amazed at the players who can think so many steps ahead.

But these masterminds are at risk from the kind of everyday indoor air pollution we all face, a shocking new study shows that even low levels of pollution have a significant impact.

Researchers from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands followed the performance of 121 top chess players in three tournaments where they also had data on temperature, carbon dioxide levels and PM2.5 levels.

PM – or particulate matter – consists of small particles, mostly from burning fossil fuels (cars and buses are a source, but so are gas stoves and wood stoves).

The 2.5 refers to particle size, so it is 2.5 microns in diameter or less (a human hair is about 70 microns).

What makes them dangerous is that they can penetrate deep into our lungs and then travel through our blood to organs such as the heart and brain.

The Dutch study showed that temperature and carbon dioxide levels made no difference to the chess players, but the higher the PM2.5 levels in the air they played in, the poorer their decision-making, especially when pressed for time. Occupy.

If tiny particles of polluted air have a big effect on chess players’ brains, what are they doing to the rest of us?

We have known for some time about the dangers to our health when we breathe polluted air on the roads, especially from traffic.

Outdoor air pollution kills at least 35,000 people in the UK every year, with most of these deaths caused by inhaling PM2.5.

A few years ago, during a small experiment in London with an air pollution meter, I was shocked to discover how many particles I was inhaling: the highest values ​​I measured occurred when I circled a traffic jam in a taxi wash by cars, inhale their fumes.

In addition to the damage to the heart, lungs and brain (this is linked to cognitive decline and dementia), breathing polluted air also affects our mood.

A study published earlier this month in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, based on the health records of nearly 400,000 Britons, found that people least exposed to air pollution had the least depression and anxiety.

The theory is that air pollution causes inflammation in the brain, which in turn can lead to mental illness – with men more susceptible than women to the effects of breathing in these tiny particles of air (it’s not clear why).

There has been a lot of research – and concern – about the quality of outdoor air. But it is becoming increasingly clear that we are also affected by poor air quality in our homes.

As Nature, the world’s leading science journal, recently pointed out, indoor air pollution kills 3.2 million people worldwide every year, almost as many as the 3.5 million deaths from outdoor air pollution.

A common source of PM2.5 in our homes is wood stoves. Earlier this week, it was reported that emissions from domestic wood burning have increased by 124 percent over the past decade, in what environmental groups are calling a “worrying trend.”

Gas cookers and gas boilers also produce PM2.5.

Our homes are also filled with many volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) emitted by paint, carpets and household products (such as air fresheners) that can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and in some cases cause nausea.

At the same time, building materials, fabrics and furniture release chemicals that can irritate our lungs and worsen asthma. So what can you do to reduce air pollution at home?

• Make sure your home is well ventilated. Especially when cooking with gas, it is important to turn on the hood, if you have one. In general, baking is healthier than grilling.
• Consider starting a wood fire indoors. They are not as bad as open fires, but they still cause more particulate matter pollution than all road traffic in the UK combined.
• Avoid using synthetic air fresheners and scented candles as they emit a lot of VOCs. If you want something that smells nice, try dispensers that release essential oils like jasmine or lavender.
• Switch to solid or liquid detergents, as they don’t release as many particles as sprays. And when practical, try replacing artificial sprays and cleaning products with more traditional products like diluted vinegar or baking soda.
• If you have humid areas, invest in a dehumidifier. They are cheap to use and one of the best ways to fight mold, which can be harmful to your lungs.
• Buy more houseplants. They improve your mood, freshen the air and filter out air pollution. Good strains include snake plant (also known as mother-in-law’s tongue), spider plant, ivy, peace lily and rosemary.
• reduce carpets. Not only do they emit a lot of VOCs, but they also trap a lot of dust and dog poop—not pure pollutants, but they can irritate your throat and cause sneezing.

Men just don’t feel like cleaning

Studies show that women spend on average twice as much time on household tasks such as cooking, cleaning and storing things

One of the few things my wife, Clare, and I fight about is clutter – especially the fact that I leave a lot of stuff around the house; Things I want to clear up later, but often don’t.

This annoys Clare – and then, of course, when I look for something, I get pissed because she put it away and I can’t find it.

This is typical of many households. Studies show that women spend on average twice as much time on household tasks such as cooking, cleaning and storing things.

So is it just that men don’t see the mess? According to a 2019 University of Melbourne study, there really is no difference between the sexes when it comes down to it.

The researchers asked men and women to look at photos and rate whether the rooms were cluttered, and came to the same conclusions.

Instead, men seem to see the chaos but feel under no obligation to do anything about it.

In a recent paper, philosophers from the University of Oxford suggested that this is because men and women are raised to see the same situation in different ways. So while I see a counter with crumbs that can be left until later, Clare sees a surface that needs to be cleaned now.

The good news, at least for women, is that men can learn to do something about it.

These days I clear the table before I leave the room, although I’m still working on not leaving Clare to do the laundry…

As the Mail reported, a number of TV personalities, including Johnny Vegas and Sue Perkins, have recently revealed that they suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

This has left some commentators skeptical, especially since there are no blood tests or brain scans for a definitive diagnosis. Instead, we rely on people’s responses to questionnaires.

This can change. Research from the University of Aarhus in Denmark, published in the journal Nature Genetics, found 27 genetic differences between people with ADHD and those without ADHD.

Many of these genes are located in brain regions involved in the release of dopamine, the “feel good” hormone that plays a key role in how our brain responds to our environment. Current ADHD medications usually work by increasing levels of dopamine. .

Although genetic testing is still a long way off, this research suggests that ADHD is not a fad, but a serious neurological condition.