DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: Why you MUST use an extractor fan when cooking on gas

While I enjoy playing chess as an amateur hobby, at a high level it is an intellectually demanding game that requires fierce concentration, and I am in awe of those players who can think so many steps ahead.

Yet these super brains are at risk from the kind of indoor air pollution we’re all exposed to, a shocking new study has found, with even modest levels of pollution having a significant effect.

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

PM, or particulate matter, is made up of tiny particles that come mostly from burning fossil fuels (cars and buses are one source, but gas stoves and wood-burning stoves are also).

The 2.5 relates to the size of the particles, so the particles have a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (a human hair is about 70 micrometers).

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

The Dutch study showed that temperature and carbon dioxide levels made no difference to chess players, but the higher the PM2.5 levels in the air where they played, the worse their decision-making, particularly when playing. they were under time. pressure.

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

We have long known about the dangers to our health of breathing polluted air on the streets, mainly from traffic.

Outdoor air pollution kills at least 35,000 people each year in the UK, with the majority of these deaths due to inhalation of PM2.5 particles.

A few years ago I was surprised to discover, while doing a little experiment in London involving wearing an air pollution monitor, how many particles I was breathing in: the highest levels I recorded were when I was stuck in traffic in a taxi. surrounded by cars that belch their gases.

In addition to damaging our hearts, lungs, and brains (it’s been linked to cognitive decline and dementia), inhaling polluted air affects our mood.

In a study published earlier this month in JAMA Psychiatry, based on the health records of nearly 400,000 Britons, people who were exposed to the least amount of air pollution were found to have the lowest levels of depression. and anxiety.

The theory is that air pollution causes inflammation in the brain and that, in turn, can trigger mental illness, with men being more vulnerable to the effects of inhaling these tiny air particles than women (it’s not clear why). .

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

As Nature, the world’s leading scientific journal, recently noted, indoor air pollution kills 3.2 million people a year worldwide, which is almost as many as the 3.5 million who die from air pollution. abroad.

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

Cooking with gas and gas boilers also produces PM2.5s.

Our homes are also full of many volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) that are released from paints, carpets, and household products (like air fresheners) that can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and in some cases, cause nausea

Meanwhile, building materials, fabrics, and furniture emit chemicals that can irritate the lungs and worsen asthma. So what can you do to reduce air pollution levels in your home?

• Make sure your house is well ventilated. It is particularly important when you are cooking with gas to turn on the ceiling fan, if you have one. In general, it is healthier to bake than to fry.
• Reconsider getting an indoor wood fire. They’re not as bad as open fires, but they still produce more small particle pollution than all UK road traffic combined.
• Avoid using synthetic air fresheners and scented candles, as they release a lot of VOCs. If you want something that smells good, try using dispensers that release essential oils, like jasmine or lavender.
• Switch to solid or liquid cleaning products because they don’t release as many particles as sprays. And, if it’s practical, try replacing artificial sprays and cleaning products with more traditional products, like diluted vinegar or baking soda.
• If you have damp rooms, invest in a dehumidifier. They are cheap to maintain and are one of the best ways to control mold, which can be harmful to the lungs.
• Buy more houseplants. They will improve your mood, freshen the air, and filter out some of the pollutants in the air. Good ones to choose from include snake plant (also known as mother-in-law’s tongue), spider plant, ivy, peace lily, and rosemary.
• Reduce the use of carpets. Not only do they release a lot of VOCs, but they trap a lot of dust and dog hair, which aren’t strictly pollutants, but can irritate the throat and cause sneezing.

Men just don’t feel the urge to order

One of the few things my wife Clare and I often argue about is clutter, particularly the fact that I leave a lot of things scattered around the house; things I plan to clear up later, but often don’t.

This irritates Clare and of course when I look for something I get mad because she put it away and I can’t find it.

This is typical of many homes. Studies show that women spend, on average, twice as much time on household chores, such as cooking, cleaning and putting things away.

So is it just that men don’t see clutter? In fact, there is no difference between the sexes when it comes to this, according to a 2019 study by the University of Melbourne.

The researchers asked men and women to look at photos and judge whether the rooms were messy, and their conclusions were the same.

Instead, it seems that men see the mess, but don’t feel the same obligation to do anything about it.

In a recent article, philosophers at the University of Oxford suggested that this is because men and women are educated to view the same situation in different ways. So while I see a crumb-covered countertop that can be left for 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 clean the table before leaving the room, although I’m still working on not letting Clare do all the laundry…

As the Mail has reported, several TV personalities, including Johnny Vegas and Sue Perkins, have recently announced that they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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

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

Many of these genes are found in areas of the brain involved with the release of dopamine, the “feel good” hormone that plays a key role in how our brains respond to our environment; current ADHD medications generally work by increasing the concentration of dopamine. .

A genetic test is still a long way off, but this research certainly suggests that ADHD is not a fad, but rather a neurological condition to be taken seriously.