DrWadeMcKenna

01/07/2026

Ultraprocessed foods alter DNA methylation patterns, silencing protective genes and activating harmful ones, creating cellular dysfunction that begins before visible health problems appear in both adults and children

A study of 30 adult women revealed those consuming 45% of their daily calories as ultraprocessed foods showed hypomethylation in 80 genome regions, affecting genes linked to fat storage, insulin sensitivity, and cancer progression

Research on 3,152 European children found that ultraprocessed food consumption caused consistent DNA methylation changes affecting thyroid function, liver health, DNA repair, and stress-response genes

Methylation changes occur even in healthy-weight individuals, demonstrating that genetic damage accumulates years before traditional metabolic markers like blood sugar, cholesterol, or body fat show problems

Breaking ultraprocessed food addiction requires restocking your pantry with whole foods, adding protein and fiber to meals, reading ingredient labels carefully, and building supportive communities focused on healthier eating

01/06/2026

Brominated flour, commonly enriched with potassium bromate, is a serious health hazard that has been banned in Europe, Canada, and other nations but remains legal in the U.S. due to lax FDA regulations. Potassium bromate acts as a dough conditioner to make bread rise higher and appear fluffier, but it breaks down into bromate ions—a known carcinogen linked to kidney, thyroid, and gastrointestinal cancers in animal studies. Research shows bromate damages DNA through oxidative stress, creating free radicals that mutate cells and promote tumor growth. Even trace amounts are dangerous: the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a Group 2B carcinogen ("possibly carcinogenic to humans") due to evidence of kidney and thyroid tumors in rodents.

Beyond cancer, brominated flour disrupts thyroid function by competing with iodine—a critical nutrient for hormone production. Bromine, a halogen like iodine, hijacks iodine receptors in the thyroid, leading to hypothyroidism, goiter, and metabolic dysfunction. This iodine-blocking effect is exacerbated by the fact that bromine bioaccumulates in tissues, as shown by studies detecting polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in human breast milk at increasing levels over time . The thyroid disruption is particularly harmful to children, whose developing brains and bodies rely on thyroid hormones for growth and cognitive function.

The U.S. continues to allow bromated flour despite decades of evidence linking it to organ toxicity. In rats, potassium bromate causes renal tubular hyperplasia (a precancerous kidney condition) and adenoma-like gene expression patterns at high doses. Humans exposed to bromate through contaminated water have suffered permanent hearing loss and neurological damage. California recently banned potassium bromate (effective 2027) after studies confirmed its carcinogenicity, but the FDA still classifies it as "safe" under the GRAS loophole, which lets companies self-certify additives without independent testing.

Bromated flour also contributes to the "bromine dominance" epidemic, where bromide overload from food, flame retardants, and pesticides displaces iodine, worsening deficiencies linked to fibrocystic breast disease, ovarian cysts, and hormone imbalances. The U.S. replaced iodine fortification in bread with bromate in the 1970s—a timeline that correlates with rising thyroid disorders and breast cancer rates. Unlike the EU, which follows the precautionary principle, the FDA waits for definitive harm before regulating, leaving consumers exposed.

For safer alternatives, choose organic, unbromated flour or brands like Pepperidge Farm that explicitly avoid potassium bromate. To detoxify bromide, increase iodine intake through seaweed or supplements, and prioritize filtered water to avoid bromate contamination from ozonation.

For further research on avoiding toxic additives, explore resources like [NaturalNews.com](https://NaturalNews.com) or [BrightAnswers.ai](https://BrightAnswers.ai).

**Related Books from BrightLearn.ai (all books are free to read and download):**

12/16/2025

Eggs are one of the best foods to incorporate into your diet.

They’re rich in fat-soluble vitamins, healthy fats, and essential nutrients like choline, which is very important for your overall health.

Choline helps prevent fatty liver disease and rid your body of excess cholesterol.

It's also essential for nerve and brain health—it even helps improve your mood and memory.

Keep in mind that the majority of choline in eggs is found in the yolk, so eating the whole egg is best!

12/13/2025

A little peptide therapy can be a big help too for healthy aging.

So many people slather on loads of serum and consume anti-aging drinks daily, yet studies have revealed the greatest strategy for “anti-aging” is actually strength training. Strength training rejuvenates aging skin, brain, bones and muscles by stimulating cellular repair mechanisms, enhancing tissue structure, modulating hormones and cytokines, and reducing chronic inflammation. These effects collectively reduce biological age by maintaining cellular health markers like telomere length and mitochondrial function.

To elaborate, strength training rejuvenates skin by increasing the thickness of the dermis, which naturally thins with age. It boosts the expression of genes that produce components of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM), such as collagens and biglycan (BGN), which are crucial for skin elasticity and firmness. Strength training also helps lower the circulating levels of pro-inflammatory factors, such as CCL28 and CXCL4, which are linked to skin aging and degradation of the ECM. Additionally, increased circulation from strength training delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to skin cells, supporting their repair and overall health.

Strength training helps the bones because it is a weight-bearing activity that applies mechanical stress (tugging and pushing) to bones. This mechanical load triggers bone-building cells called osteoblasts to synthesize new bone tissue, leading to increased bone mineral density and strength. Regular strength training also slows age-related bone loss, helping to prevent conditions like osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures.

Strength training directly combats age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) by stimulating muscle fibers to maintain or increase muscle mass and strength. Exercise activates muscle stem cells, known as satellite cells (SCs), which repair damaged muscle fibers and add myonuclei, facilitating muscle growth (hypertrophy) and regeneration. Strength training also enhances mitochondrial biogenesis and function in muscle cells, reversing age-related mitochondrial decline and improving muscle energy potential and oxidative capacity.

PMID: 37353523, 39596838

12/13/2025

12/13/2025

We tend to believe healing requires huge life changes, but your body responds to the smallest shifts.

Little choices compound. Keep choosing them.

12/13/2025

They won’t tell you these statistics when encouraging you to avoid the sun…

12/13/2025

https://www.newstarget.com/2025-12-11-modern-eating-patterns-fuel-widespread-magnesium-deficiency.html

Modern diets, characterized by processed foods and depleted soils, have led to a widespread magnesium shortfall, with an estimated 75% of the global population being deficient. Magnesium is essential for over 300 biochemical reactions, acting as a cofactor for processes including energy production,....

12/04/2025

Struggling with back pain that won’t go away? Take a look at your plate…

Download my free resource on 5 strategies to cut ultra-processed foods, helping you remove refined sugars, starches, and seed oils from your diet: https://drbrg.co/4iQ5V6Q

12/04/2025

How does Bad Food lead to Bad Mood?

Bipolar disorder and depression affect tens of millions globally, long treated as strictly brain-based illnesses, yet both consistently show high rates of insulin resistance and metabolic disturbances

A 2025 Nature Neuroscience study found that pancreatic insulin release and hippocampal activity are linked through a circadian feedback loop. This suggests bipolar mood shifts arise from disrupted metabolism, not brain chemistry alone

Earlier research in 2022 showed lithium stabilizes mood partly by restoring insulin signaling, while a clinical trial found metformin improved both insulin sensitivity and psychiatric symptoms in treatment-resistant bipolar depression patients

Insulin resistance is extremely widespread, with around 40% of Americans affected, driven by refined sugars, seed oils, stress, sleep loss, and environmental exposures that disrupt the body’s natural energy regulation

Supporting insulin sensitivity involves stepwise changes, replacing damaged fats and ultraprocessed foods, introducing gut-friendly carbs and fibers gradually, managing stress, improving sleep, and staying active to stabilize both metabolic and mental health

11/12/2025

Burning beeswax candles actually cleans your air instead of adding endocrine disrupting, cancer-causing toxins to it like scented paraffin wax candles do. When your endocrine system is disrupted, your hormones are greatly affected which leads to health problems like reproductive disorders, metabolic issues (obesity, diabetes), neurological complications, thyroid and immune system disturbances and even an increased risk of many cancers. These chemicals interfere with hormones function by mimicking or blocking hormone activity, growth, metabolism, and reproduction across the lifespan, from prenatal stages through adulthood!

Burning beeswax candles helps to clean the air by emitting negative ions that bind to positive ions, like dust and allergens, causing them to settle out of the air. This process leads to a cleaner, fresher smelling environment, especially benefiting those with allergies or asthma.

Alternatively, scented candles, particularly those made from paraffin wax, release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when burned, including benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde, which are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

In addition to these, other VOCs like acetaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can also be emitted.

The type of wax, fragrance and wick can all contribute to the release of these chemicals.

Yankee candle makes almost $1 billion per year in sales and the VAST majority of their candles are scented, paraffin wax candles. You’re quite literally paying to poison yourself, your animals and your family.

Check out the comments section - I will put a breakdown of the full health impacts of each of the VOCs released by these toxic candles.

PMID: 36631840, 27391253, 38222738

11/12/2025

Studies have revealed that walking 3 mph on a super-incline (16%-18%) burns 70% more calories for fat than running on a flat surface. This is because the steep incline requires more muscle engagement in the legs and glutes, increasing the metabolic cost and making your body use more fat as fuel.

To elaborate:

📑INCREASED MUSCLE ENGAGEMENT: Walking uphill forces your legs, glutes and core to work harder to fight gravity, recruiting more muscles and boosting calorie burn.

📑HIGHER HEART RATE: The incline raises your heart rate more than flat running at the same speed, indicating greater cardiovascular demand and energy expenditure.

📑ENHANCED FAT OXIDATION: Studies show that when matched for total calorie expenditure, incline walking burns a higher percentage of fat for fuel compared to running.

📑GREATER METABOLIC COST: Moving uphill has a higher metabolic cost because your body has to expend more energy to move against gravity.

SOURCE: https://www.therunningweek.com/post/incline-walking-burns-70-more-fat-than-running-on-flat-ground-heres-the-science-behind-it

SEE ALSO PMID: PMC: 4504736, 22578744